There’s a change in management at 5Forty Café and Grill, but don’t fear, your favourite bagel or panini isn’t leaving the menu. New owner Joel Currie insists the café isn’t going to be making any big operational changes.
Having lived in Sun Peaks for 18 years, Currie has watched 5Forty grow since it first opened under former owner Scott Janzen. Notably in 2014 it switched from part-retail store to full café and deli with expanded seating capacity.
Following Janzen’s stepping away from the business, Currie took it on in partnership with his brother, Brad, with ownership starting Feb. 1.
Currie’s background is mostly in construction management, but this is not his first foray into hospitality in Sun Peaks; he worked at Bottoms Bar & Grill for eight years and managed the club for a season.
While he’s taken on 5Forty as his own endeavour he said he doesn’t plan on changing too much about the place.
“It’s got a local following and I want to keep that.”
There are some new faces in the staff, but otherwise the team will remain familiar to regulars. The only variation Currie is looking at right now is the addition of an afternoon tapas menu to the café’s usual fare.
“I’d like to offer more of an après special,” he said.
Amanda Willmes, who has worked at 5Forty since October, said she hopes the café can build more of reputation as a night scene.
“It’d be really nice to have more of an evening thing where people could come here to get more drink specials…I would love if we could do cocktails, I think that would be a lot of fun.”
Currie is open to the idea of boosting the business’ status as a venue for events and live music in the future but for now, “we’re still in talks with what we’re going to do,” he said. “I’m working with the staff on some things to do and events to plan, but nothing concrete yet.”
Willmes said Currie is taking the early steps to gauge the business and “what people want.”
“I think with a popular place like this, it has a lot of potential,” she said.
5Forty Café and Grill can be found in the upper village in Fireside Lodge and is open daily from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.
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