Page 29 - Brandon Sun - 2020 Westman Business

NOVEMBER 2020 • WESTMAN BUSINESS • THE BRANDON SUN 29

Darren and Christy Burdeniuk affix a sign to the fence outside The Dock on Prin-
cess in April, giving instructions to customers on their zero-contact carry out ser-
vice. When it temporarily closed its doors early in the pandemic, the pub started
offering assemble-at-home meal kits to keep some revenue coming in. Though the
pub has since reopened, it still offers a selection of three meal kits and grab-and-
go meals. (File)

» Continued from Page 28 slide because they couldn’t have their
doors open or whatever the case is, it
“Bingo cards and things can’t really forced them to think outside the box
be disinfected, so we’ve moved to a pen and find new ways to serve their cus-
and paper bingo,” Kehler said. “At the tomer base.”
beginning of the pandemic, we were For downtown pub The Dock on
doing activities that residents could do Princess, the pandemic inspired them
in their suites like puzzles and games.” to think outside the box as well and
Other businesses’ successes during update their website. When they tem-
the pandemic have come from people porarily closed their doors early in
being forced to spend more time at the pandemic, they started offering
home and noticing flaws. Day told the assemble-at-home meal kits to keep
Sun he was interested in replacing his some revenue coming in.
home’s fence, only to find that four-by- According to assistant general man-
four posts were sold out throughout ager Jody Mead, they’ve been popu-
the entire city. lar enough that they’re still offering a
For the same reasons, Day said peo- selection of three meal kits and grab
ple have also been buying up a lot of and go meals well after the pub was al-
recreation and leisure equipment. lowed to reopen.
“Camper and RV sales have been way The pandemic also provided mo-
up,” he said. tivation for the Dock to upgrade its
With capacity limits on gyms, home website and create an app to facilitate
fitness products have also been a brisk online pick-up and delivery orders.
seller. By using their own website and han-
Businesses have also gotten into the dling deliveries themselves, they’re
self-improvement game. able to keep more profit in-house than
“I can’t count on ten sets of hands if they’d gone with a third-party meal
how many people have checked the delivery app.
website project off their list,” Day said. “It’s good to celebrate wins too,
“The one that kept sliding off their to- just to remind us that there are going
do list every week. When COVID hit things going on out there,” Day said.
in March, our priorities change. For » cslark@brandonsun.com
someone who maybe saw revenues » Twitter: @ColinSlark