The Marché du Vieux Bois/Dépanneur Herdman reopened its doors on May 9, and the new owners – sisters Haidee Weldon and Daniela Felske – were thrilled to show off their renovations to over 150 customers who came to say hello.
Felske has been in the process of buying both the dépanneur and the property across the road since the beginning of the year, and the papers are all officially signed now. She and her sister are both from the Valley, but Felske spent most of her adult life in Edmonton running an engineering business. Weldon had been living in Montreal, working as a nurse. When Weldon was moving from Westmount back to the Valley, her sister came to help her move, and they saw the two properties for sale. This became a retirement project for the two of them.
The opening weekend was considered more of a “soft opening” by Weldon, since they were still waiting for permits to serve food. They had already acquired the permits needed to serve pre-made cold food and café drinks but had been waiting months for approval to serve hot meals. As of June 11, they can serve hot lunches, including specialties like porchetta sandwiches.
The past five months have been taken up with renovations to get the space ready. Weldon reassures clients that they have kept much of the charm of the old shop, while still updating it to fit their vision. They’ve kept the floors and ceilings, as well as the old refrigerators which are so beloved in the beautiful old building. They still have the dépanneur with everyday necessities and local products, but their focus is on the café; in the upstairs space, the hope is to showcase local artists and craftspeople.
The café will be serving some fast food, but Weldon says, “I’m definitely interested in doing more healthy food, and also in the summer having outside events and grillades going on a weekend. Maybe some live music, and just involving the community as much as possible.”
Coming back to the Valley after years away has been a real joy for the sisters. “I feel like I’ve come back home. I relate a lot better to the people around here than in Montreal … The people who come into the store, they’re so friendly. They’re so enthusiastic. Everyone wishes us good luck. It’s amazingly supportive, even though we’ve been away for so long,” she says.