Small Business Spotlight: Q Café
The Q Café remains a popular eatery in the City of Sault Ste. Marie. Located on Queen Street, the Q Café’s menu includes savory meals with diverse amounts of homemade food and caffeinated drinks. Anyone who has nursed their hunger pangs with the delectable foods from this café has the owner, Susan Willems van Dijk, to thank.
Article by Meig Campbell
Susan Willems van Dijk.
Q Café was originally established in 2014 in Downtown Sault Ste. Marie. A passion for quality food is what prompted Susan to open the café-quality food quickly becoming a signature trait of the dining establishment. Susan's background includes working in children's mental health and child protection for many years. Her trade as café owner allows Susan to continue to ensure people are looked after by giving the people of her city a warm and inviting atmosphere where the city folk can gather and eat. Caring for those in the community exemplifies Susan's appreciation for the town she has resided in since she was a child. She exclaims that it is paramount to give back to her community.
"It's been my hometown since I was ten years old. This is where I live and it's important to be here and give back to the community in some way," Susan mentions. This notion of giving back to the city is showcased through Q Café’s services as they offer a reprieve from those working in the downtown area with a beguiling place to sit, relax, and eat.
"One of the nice things you can do for a person is to feed them. That's what I believe. It's like comfort, it's home-cooking and it's always fresh," Susan says. Customers who gather at the Q Café to purchase Susan's homemade and fresh food can also expect quality service, something that is particularly important for Susan to maintain at her eatery and one of the many ways she has gained her loyal customer base. Although owning a restaurant includes many hours of hard work, the overjoyed customers taking notice of the quality food makes any difficulties worthwhile.
"My favourite part of having a business in this city is having a customer walk through the door who says 'oh my gosh, I loved that soup you made', or for someone to want to come in and personally thank me, that's the best,” Susan remarks. As Q Café continues to be a draw for those in the downtown area seeking the finest food to eat, the café began to expand. Initially opening as a dine-in restaurant, Q Café limited its services to take out in the last few years. And now, as of October 18th, they opened their new dine-in area across the street from their take out location.
“My goal for the café would be to build on my success here. Just to get established and stay here permanently. Continue to add customers and hours when I am ready to do that. Just take it one day at a time,” Susan says regarding the future of Q Café. With new expansions underway while maintaining the quality of food and service, Q Café is expected to remain a success in Sault Ste. Marie.
Q Café is located at 523 Queen Street East.