KAMSACK — Open for nearly six months now, Shamay Café has developed a fine reputation in Kamsack for being an excellent restaurant with enjoyable food and atmosphere.
“Come check us out,” said Ruby Cote, the manager. “We see lots of different people enjoying their meals.
“We want this restaurant to succeed,” Cote said, explaining that Cote First Nation, which owns the business, hired her to lead a staff of eight.
Cote has extensive experience in the food industry. She worked in a restaurant at McArthur River Mine near Key Lake for nine years, doing everything from the dishes to salads, from cooking to baking. She worked at the former Lucky Horseshoe Bingo in Saskatoon for three years and also worked briefly at Shamay Café when it was the former Kunshi Kitchen.
A single mother of three adult children, Cote, a member of Cote First Nation, is the daughter of Beverly Severight of Cote.
On staff with Cote, who “does everything,” including cooking, serving and purchasing supplies, are four cooks: Pamela Shingoose, Rachel Severight, Deirdre Shingoose and Charlotte Cote; three servers, Alexis Crow, Aura Whitehawk and Olivia Severight and a dishwasher, Sandy Cote.
This building, which accommodates seating for 34 customers, and is located on Queen Elizabeth Boulevard at the community’s eastern limits, was vacant for about 18 months before it was opened June 20 as Shamay Café. Because of the closure, the owners faced several expensive issues upon re-opening, like having to repair a dishwasher and needing a new water heater, which took a bite out of profits.
The restaurant, where one may eat in or take food out, is open seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., and over the holiday period, it will stay open every day except for Christmas Day and Boxing Day. To be featured over the holiday period will be roast turkey dinners.
Explaining why it was decided to close at 3 p.m., Cote said that it was agreed that there are a few other restaurants in the community which cater to the later diners.
“We wanted to concentrate on breakfasts,” she said, adding that among the favourite items on the menu are the Shamay breakfast, which features three sausages, ham and bacon, two pancakes, toast and hash browns, and the Hungry Man breakfast which is the same, but without the pancakes.
“We feature breakfasts all day long,” she said. Also on the menu are ribs and burgers.
Among special items on the menu is homemade bannock which is served as toast, with burgers and with Indian tacos, she said. “We have a kids’ menu with breakfasts starting at about $7.”
“Every day we have a soup-and-sandwich lunch, with a variety of soups and sandwiches, for the price of $7.77.
“When we first opened, business was booming, now it is steady,” she said, adding that she has received requests to cater to affairs and is prepared to accept more such requests.
“Come, check us out,” Cote said.
