Going from employee to owner can be quite the transition, but it’s not such a big challenge when you’ve been dreaming about making the business yours for years. Just ask Chantal and Gayle Dean, a mother-daughter business team, who took over ownership of My Place Restaurant in Carbonear in 2015.  

The pair had worked together at the restaurant, which had been in operation for more than 40 years, when they approached the owners with the idea of taking over.  

As a mother and daughter team, we both worked at the restaurant before buying it. “We always talked about what we would do if we owned it,” Gayle says.  

“When we purchased the restaurant, we started to make small changes, listening to our customers' wants and needs. We introduced more traditional Newfoundland items and put our vision into place,” Chantal agrees.   

“It took awhile to get where we are now, especially with COVID, but our cozy little restaurant now looks and feels like how we always wanted it to,” Gayle says.  

Done Like Dinner 

My Place Restaurant now offers lots of authentic Newfoundland dishes like fish and brewis, Jigg’s dinner, and cold plates, along with a large gluten free menu, which draws people from more than an hour away.  

“We offer all of this in our newly renovated dining room with a rugged theme, where you can eat by our potbelly stove and look around at some of our interesting decor,” Gayle says. “Some of our regular customers feel like family to us. We watch children grow up, feel our customers' happy times and sad times. And we meet people from all over the world and Canada. It’s never boring!” 

The pair started the business a decade ago with the support of Trinity Conception CBDC and programs like the Self Employment Assistance (SEA) Program, Youth Loan, and Business Training. These programs are designed to help with the start-up costs and early investments in a business to reduce the financial burden and stress in the first years of operations.  

“Without funding from CBDC our dream wouldn’t be possible,” Chantal says. “CBDC also helps with continued education such as marketing, management, bookkeeping which has been a great help.” 

Comfort Food 

In fact, in 2024 CBDC Trinity Conception honoured My Place Restaurant with its Business of the Year Award.  

At the time Gayle talked about the ups and downs of business ownership, but mostly thanked their loyal customers.  

“There are many of our customers who make bad days better days by walking through the door,” she says. 

Have you been thinking about taking over a business? Or maybe have an idea for something completely new? Get in touch with your local CBDC and a business advisor can help you get access to funding or repayable loans with exceptional interest rates, to open, operate, and succeed in your business future!