CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — Anuj Thapa looks around the former Beanz coffee shop on Great George Street in Charlottetown and realizes he has inherited a legacy.
Thapa who currently operates two restaurants in the city - The Himalayan at Midtown Plaza and the Spicey Chef on Belvedere Avenue - recently purchased the building with plans to open a third restaurant location.
“It’s like having a baby,’’ Thapa said after gazing around. “There is a lot of responsibility to take care of the legacy left by the former operators.’’
Thapa is referring to Lori Kays and Doug Hurry who started Beanz in 1995, selling it to Kaan and Gursal Ulkan three years ago. The Ulkans decided to close Beanz last September and eventually put the building up for sale. While Thapa now owns the building, the Ulkans have retained the rights to the Beanz name and are considering re-opening in another, smaller location.
Thapa moved to P.E.I. from Nepal in 2012 and opened his first restaurant the following year. He said he has partners who will help him run the other two businesses and is looking forward to welcoming a different clientele in the downtown.
“The downtown itself has its own vibe, especially in the summer. We get a lot of local people at the Belvedere location so I’m hoping to attract more tourists (at the new location). It will be more of a mix here.’’
Thapa looks around Beanz again and says he misses the days when Doug and Lori ran the shop.
“I was a good customer for them. It was fun.’’
He brings up the baby analogy again.
“It feels like you are having another baby . . . because you have curiosity (with the new changes), you have dreams, you are a little bit scared of a lot of things, so it’s like having another baby.’’
Beanz still looks the same inside. Nothing has changed, but Thapa said there will be some renovations to convert it from a coffee shop into a restaurant. He plans on expanding the kitchen at the back.
He expects the menu at the new location to feature about 70 per cent of what people would find at the other two locations. But one thing is certain, he’ll be offering his signature butter chicken.
“After seven years in business, 33 per cent of (the dishes) we sell on a daily basis is the butter chicken dish, and that’s out of about 50 dishes we serve.’’
Axel Leonhard, who owns Leonhard’s next door, said he is happy the Beanz space will soon be filled again.
“It’s like the old days with Lori and Doug, we shared customers,’’ Leonhard said, adding that if his menu isn’t pleasing to those walking by maybe they’ll drop into Thapa's restaurant – and vice-versa.
“We just met, he’s a nice guy, I like him. We both complement each other and I respect the fact that he’s been in business for years.’’
Thapa is hoping to be open sometime this spring.
