Two Kindersley businesses celebrate their 1st anniversary!
By Joan Janzen
joanjanzen@yahoo.com
It’s been one year since two new businesses opened their doors on Kindersley’s Main Street. Trina Koska opened her shop, Curvessence Apparel, on May 19th, located at 511 Main Street, and Jeff and Anna Santos opened Swirl Cafe on May 17th at 609 Main Street.
Curvessence sports the tagline “Clothing for women with extra.” According to Trina, “every woman should be able to dress with confidence.”
Even though Curvessence was unable to host a splashy grand opening because of enforced health regulations, the small business forged ahead as initially planned. Women from Kindersley and the surrounding area were pleased to invite this business into town. As an added convenience, customers can also order online at curvessence.ca
“A lot of my clothing lines are Canadian,” Trina said. “It wasn’t something I had planned; I just came across product that was Canadian.”
As a result, her store now stocks Pretty Woman clothing designed and made in Vancouver, and Diane Kennedy, also designed and ethically made in local factories in Vancouver. Everything from the fabric to the label is Canadian-made.
Curvessence is also equipped with a printer and heat-press, allowing Trina to design any T-shirt that a customer may request. And of course, gift cards are always available.
Although it looks like hosting a first-anniversary event isn’t an option, Trina will continue to provide attractive products and excellent service to all customers who walk through her doors or order online.
Customers have said, “She loves clothes and her customers!” Another satisfied customer said, “The clothing is very high quality, fits well and is Canadian made. She has good sales, and I’m quite impressed by her service.”
Swirl Cafe is a popular place for ice cream lovers and coffee enthusiasts. Jeff and Anna Santos started their business long before the doors to the cafe opened. They started serving ice cream on weekends and during town events, equipped with a portable freezer, a table and a canopy. Three years later, they were ready to open their new cafe when Covid blasted the world. However, Jeff moved forward and opened the business anyway, and he’s been adding new attractions ever since.
Now the cafe is home to displays by six regular vendors, including home-baked goods. “As long as they want their product here, they are welcome,” Jeff said, noting that every vendor has something different to offer, and Swirl Cafe sells the vendor’s product under consignment.
Swirl’s first year was peppered with challenges. “I never thought there would be days when we couldn’t open because of so much snow,” Jeff said. As the temperature lowered along with ice cream sales, Jeff introduced sandwiches to the Swirl menu. “Every now and then, we want to bring out different sandwiches that aren’t normally available in Kindersley,” he explained.
They also provided delivery service on weekends for people who didn’t want to go out in the extreme cold and snow. “Delivery service was busy during the winter,” Jeff said.
Jeff appreciates the staff members he is employing, saying, “We’ve got two employees who have been here since we started.”
A comment on social media said, “Jeff cares about his customers and how they are doing.” One customer told Jeff he had just bought a fancy new coffee machine but wasn’t sure how to operate it, so Jeff invited the customer to come behind the counter and trained him “how to make a decent coffee at home.”
You’ll find Jeff at Swirl Cafe at least ten hours a day, seven days a week, always friendly and hospitable. “It’s not about how much we earn; it’s about community and providing a good service. We still see new faces,” he concluded.
Jeff Santos and Trina Koska both took a chance on opening new businesses last year at the start of the Covid pandemic.