MBA Business Beat Showcase
Manitouwadge Business Association
Business Beat
August 2010
by Maggie Schut
Welcome to Business Beat…where each month Manitouwadge Business Association happenings are announced plus a member showcased. Input is welcomed…please contact the author at 826-4626 or hawberryfields@shaw.ca. Suggestions and constructive criticism are encouraged.
News Flash
…the postponement of our Trade Show to September 2011. The registration
numbers for this year were insufficient, therefore the organizing committee is focused on welcoming a full slate of exhibitors for next September.
Our second Downtown Market took place Saturday, August 14th with double the vendors of the July premiere. Many names were put to faces, and more importantly many faces were put to businesses! Please note that the next Downtown Market, September 18th will be starting a half hour earlier (8:30am) for the benefit of those shoppers also golfing in the Crime Stoppers Tournament. The market is located in the parking lot behind the township offices.
The MBA August executive meeting was jammed packed with activity relating to the formation of our non-profit organization. By-laws are being drafted, our Purpose Statement and membership fees will be finalized at the September meeting, and we now have a post office box, #87. Once the minutes of the previous month’s meeting have been adopted, they will be posted in the MBA section of the Township website.
Businesses reporting updates:
- Sue’s Needles & Threads (Sue Partridge) has received new equipment for her quilting machine.
- OntarioNewsNorth.com (Karina Hunter) now offers readers contributing news the chance to be entered in a monthly draw for $100 see the site for complete details.
SHOWCASE:
JIFFY SPRAY CAR WASH
KG’S BAR & LOUNGE
This month we feature a double-header. Not only do these businesses follow each other alphabetically, but they share the same owners! Meet Kim and Guy Desjardins! Guy has been in Manitouwadge 38 years, and the couple has two grown children both living here as well.
Don’t be fooled by the name “car” wash, the Jiffy Spray facility handles everything; trucks, bikes, RV’s, trailers, ATV’s, UTV’s, snowmachines, ride-on mowers, etc. Guy started the business in 1996, and each of the two bays has its own specific use.
On the left is the self-serve coin-operated wash, with all the basics to wash your vehicle inside and out. On the right, Guy offers full-service washes, interior, exterior, and detailing (by appointment). Fresh, soft water is used each and every time.
Lately, there’s been an unexplained downturn in business volume. I jokingly suggested to Guy that it was probably due to all the rain we’ve been having! Mother Nature only rinses; Jiffy does the full job! Gift Certificates are available – what a clever gift for that impossible to buy for man in your life or a special lady you want to treat like a princess (princesses never wash their own carriages!).
Kim holds down the fort at KG’s Bar & Lounge, next to the downtown one-way in the former Legion building which they purchased 6 years ago. It is well known as a hive of activity, open 7 days a week it is the top choice for after-hours social activities in Manitouwadge. Wednesday’s chicken wings deals are even more popular since KG’s switched to the new “Perfect Fryer” machines which result in healthier fried foods.
Did you know that KG’s also offers a DJ service? Kim reminds adults that they will bring in specific liquid libations for their customers upon request and there is plenty of room upstairs to mix, mingle, play billiards, and casually dine while ‘Down Under’ is available for private functions. ‘Down Under’ is the lower level banquet room which is available for private functions, and home to regular dart leagues. Each floor has it’s own restrooms and bar while the basement is also accessible for those for whom stairs present a challenge.Guy and Kim are proud to employ six regular staffers in addition to those they employ for special occasions/events. Kim and Guy encourage you to stop by for details of upcoming special events such as public Stag & Does, Pay-per-view evenings or theme/holiday events.
On a personal note, I first visited Manitouwadge in August of 2001 for the wedding of Lisa (Pellerin) and Craig Schut. One of the first places I sought out was a car wash after the long trip from Manitoulin. Someone said “follow the one way street and you can’t miss it”. The owner happened to be there to offer a warm welcome and plenty of directions. Thanks again, Guy!
