COMOX, B.C. – This is one sequel that Dion and Karin Usipuik hopes will be even better than the original.
The couple is taking another run at owning a coffee shop, purchasing Caffe Amantes in downtown Comox and renaming it The Mill, a nod to the term coffee mill as well as Dion’s years working at a local cedar sawmill.
This is very familiar territory for the Usipuiks. They owned the cafe from 2007 to 2013 before selling it and stepping away from the coffee shop business.
“Owning the business just wasn’t the right timing for us,” explained Karin, a local realtor.
But coffee grounds continued to marinate in the couple’s blood.
“We always missed and loved the coffee side of it,” Karin said. “We missed our customers. We would see them at the park and talk to them. We missed the customer aspect of it all. When we saw this come up for sale, it was the right timing and fell into our lap and here we are doing it again.”
They bought the business over the Canada Day long weekend. Enter part two of the Dion and Karin coffee shop experience.
“Here we are five years later owning it again,” Karin said.
Dion and Karin are getting the word out that they are back in (the coffee) business.
“Our oldest daughter worked here when we owned it before,” Karin said. “She still meets for coffee with one of our old customers. So she’s already telling people and we’re spreading the word. We’ve talked to a few of the business owners that we used to connect with… and they’re all excited that we’re back in the neighbourhood.”
Painting and redecorating continues as the family prepares for a soft opening sometime next week.
Karin said the goal is to “freshen” the business up with the new name and look, and new products and types of coffee.
“We want to give it a fresh new vibe and a restart,” Karin said.
She added, “We want to be open in the evenings and bring some life into Comox in the evenings.”
An official grand opening complete with live music and day-long events is in the works in a couple weeks time.
