Business
Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, July 5, 2017
A3
Food cart offers global flair
Eatery open for
breakfast, lunch
By Angel Carpenter
Blue Mountain Eagle
New bakery, cafe honor
inspirational grandmothers
Blue Mountain Eagle
Before the crack of
dawn, Kim Heathcote is
busy whipping up baked
goods and components for
homemade meals at her new
businesses Mabel’s Cafe
and Eve’s Sweets in Canyon
City.
Customer response has
been positive.
“It’s overwhelming, the
warm feeling the commu-
nity has given,” she said.
“Most people are excited to
see something open in Can-
yon City.”
The two businesses
opened in June, serving
breakfast and lunch, and
both are located in the same
building with separate en-
trances.
Eve’s, the bakery side at
the corner of Washington
and Park streets, is open 6
a.m. to 3 p.m. seven days a
week.
Mabel’s Cafe, at 295 S.
Canyon City Blvd., is open
7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mondays
through Saturdays.
Heathcote is following in
her grandmothers’ footsteps.
Evelyn Foss, her mater-
nal grandmother, was a pro-
fessional caterer and chef,
and Mabel Graff, her pater-
nal grandmother, was an in-
spiration as well.
“She had an absolute
heart of gold and was one of
the most inspiring people,”
Heathcote said of Graff.
Heathcote was a manager
in food service for 10 years.
She made her start throwing
her own parties. Then peo-
ple would ask her to cater
their events.
Heathcote is from Wis-
consin and moved to the
area in October to be near
family, her sister and par-
ents, who have been here for
15 years.
Five employees work for
Heathcote, including her
sister Michele McMana-
ma, who is there part time.
Heathcote said she enjoys
helping her staff learn, grow
and express themselves.
Gloria Stratford, who’s
been in the restaurant indus-
try for many years, said she’s
“never had a better boss.”
At Eve’s, cinnamon rolls,
muffins, cookies and other
goodies are on display in a
room with crisp black and
white diamond pattern on
the walls. She also takes
special orders for cakes,
cupcakes and pies.
On the Mabel’s side, cus-
tomers will find everything
from hamburgers, soups and
salads to egg rolls, chimi-
changas and chicken wraps
on the menu.
“I feel like, with food,
you can be artistic,” Heath-
cote said. “We use all real
food, and we make every
sauce and dressing. ... If it’s
roast beef, we roast a beef.
We don’t take anything off
the back of a Sysco truck.”
One of the menu favorites
is the fiesta bowl with shred-
ded chicken or beef over ci-
lantro-lime rice, topped with
black bean-corn salsa.
She said the business is
happy to customize meals to
people’s liking.
“Our whole theory is just
to make people happy,” she
said.
For more information
about Mabel’s, call 541-
575-3553, and for Eve’s,
call 541-575-0301.
Baker City
2830 10th St. • 541-524-0122
He gives credit to their cur-
rent success to Papa Rod’s
food cart, which had a good
response in the same spot in
the past.
“I think a lot of people like
the idea of a food cart,” Lorin
said. “Papa Rod’s paved the
way.”
Michaela said when Ma-
ria’s Mexican restaurant in
Canyon City closed, it created
a cultural gap.
“We really enjoy food,”
Lorin said. “I thought to my-
self, I want to have a burrito
nearby.”
Little Canyon’s menu also
includes breakfast items, such
as biscuits and gravy, break-
fast sandwiches and burritos.
An English muffin sand-
wich can include an egg, goat
cheese, tomato, capers and
spinach. Bagels, croissants,
sausage, bacon and veggie
patties are other options.
The lunch menu includes
tacos, burritos, sausage dogs,
chips and salsa and lunch spe-
cials, such as yellow or red
curried chicken with rice.
Freshly brewed Stump-
town Coffee, hot or cold, is
available, and as for sweets,
you might find a slice of
homemade pumpkin pie, cake
or Swedish cinnamon rolls.
Lorin said they began
planning last October, work-
ing with Sally Bartlett of the
Grant County Economic De-
velopment office.
He said the support from
Medical supply store under new ownership
Norco considering
offering delivery
By Rylan Boggs
Blue Mountain Eagle
Norco Medical has a new
owner.
Darla Carpenter took over
the medical supply business,
at 437 W Main St. in John
Day, in early February.
Carpenter said remodels
are in the future, and she hopes
to turn the business into more
of a retail space.
Norco sells everything
from oxygen tanks to wheel-
chairs and deals mostly with
prescriptions. They also sell
and rent a variety of canes,
braces and
other medical
items a pre-
scription isn’t
needed for.
She en-
courages
Darla
people to in-
Carpenter
quire about
items in stock
and said they can often order
what they don’t have in the
store.
Under new ownership,
Norco has extended it’s hours
to 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays
through Fridays, and Carpen-
ter said she is available around
the clock for emergency calls.
The business employs three
people, and they are constant-
ly busy, Carpenter said. While
there’s lots of on-the-job
learning, Carpenter said the
customers have been great and
are very helpful at knowing
just what they need.
Carpenter was motivated
to work at Norco after caring
for her own mother for eight
years. During that time, she
was amazed at the difference
a supportive medical supply
store staff could make.
Carpenter said the primary
Norco office is in Bend, and
has been an incredible help as
she has transitioned into run-
ning a new business.
She did advise those using
oxygen tanks make sure to
stock up with at least four days
worth in case of an emergency.
One goal Carpenter has for
the business is to begin a de-
livery route for some custom-
ers. She said she hopes to get it
started in as early as one year.
Norco Medical can be
reached at 541-575-0372.
JOHN DAY
VIDEO & ELECTRONICS
for all your
SONY TV’s, Audio, Video & Cameras
Every other Monday at
05723
By Angel Carpenter
The Eagle/Angel Carpenter
Lorin Coleman and Michaela Wolf own Little Canyon
Food Cart in John Day with Lorin’s parents, Neal and
Linnea Coleman.
05755
The Eagle/Angel Carpenter
The staff and owner of Mabel’s Cafe and Eve’s Sweets
are ready to serve their customers at the new Canyon
City business. From left: Jaylyn Bishop, Gloria
Stratford, owner Kim Heathcote and Jozie Rude.
Mexican, Thai and Indian
foods, as well as other stand-
bys and specials, can all be
found under one food cart
roof.
Lorin Coleman, Michae-
la Wolf and Neal and Linnea
Coleman, owners of Little
Canyon Food Cart in John
Day, each bring their own
unique talents to the business,
which opened April 7 at 200
SE Dayton St.
Although each of the own-
ers take turns cooking, Lorin
said his parents, Neal and Lin-
nea, are the “secret weapon”
of the business.
Neal, who spent time over-
seas in the Navy, brings the
southeast Asian flair, and he
also prepares the meat for oth-
er dishes on the menu.
Linnea provides a curry
special, which she’s made at
home for years, and she also
bakes the sweets and pastries.
Michaela brings her expe-
rience working in local restau-
rants, and Lorin does a little of
everything, including building
what is needed for the busi-
ness, bookkeeping and com-
municating with vendors.
Lorin said the idea for the
food cart was well thought
out, yet spur of the moment.
Bartlett and Lyn Gardner,
owner of the lot and A Little
Bit of Europe antique shop,
has been positive. The cus-
tomer response has also been
positive, he said.
“People have been enor-
mously supportive,” he said.
“We couldn’t ask for anything
better. We want to repay that
by maintaining a high level
of quality. Most (business-
es) have a strong start — it’s
maintaining that.”
In the future, the owners
hope to bring music and more
seating, providing an outdoor
atmosphere.
“We want to add to the
community and offer more
than just food and drinks,”
Michaela said. “We want our
presence here to be a benefit to
the community.”
“That’s true for all the busi-
nesses,” Lorin added.
They plan to continue to
add menu items from around
the globe, utilizing as much
local produce, meat, eggs and
honey as possible.
When asked to name one
of the customer favorites,
Lorin didn’t hesitate.
“Pork tacos,” he said. “Peo-
ple just won’t stop. They’re
becoming dependent.”
Little Canyon Food Cart
is open 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mon-
days through Fridays. The
owners hope to expand hours
to include Friday nights and
Saturdays. For more informa-
tion, call 541-620-2911.
Blue Mountain Hospital
170 Ford Rd. • 541-575-1311
The doctor sp eaks Spanish - El doctor habla Espanol
˜
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