Kitchener Waterloo Business Spotlight
Living Fresh Flower + Plant Studio
     

Mother’s day is just around the corner and if you are looking for something incredible to surprise the wonderful   mothers in your life with, a stop into Living Fresh Flower + Plant studio will be exactly you’re looking for!        

When you go into Living Fresh you will be met with much more than just your everyday bouquets.  Their arrangements are unique, vibrant and something that your mother will remember.  Not only do they put together great floral   arrangements, but you can also get an incredible hand tied bouquet, unique plants, gift boxes made with local treasures, flower subscriptions or even treat your mother to a floral arrangement class. 

Their shop is bright and spacious and showcases some of the most incredible flowers and plants you have ever seen, if you’re looking for that unique gift for someone hard to shop for, this is a must-see shop!  For special occasions, Living Fresh will offer seasonal arrangements that are quick to pick up, or if you have a little more time, you can let them know what you are looking for and they are sure to make something for you that surpasses your wildest dream! 

If you’d like to try your own skills at floral arrangements, Living Fresh offers in depth small classes over a few weeks so you can learn this skill yourself and become a confident floral designer, great for those looking to kick start their career as a floral designer or even someone who wants some in depth knowledge for their own floral designs.

Living Fresh is going to be your go to shop in downtown Kitchener for your floral needs, from gifts, everyday flowers to brighten your home in any season or even weddings.  Tina and her team at Living Fresh will not let you down and provide a beautiful experience with fresh and long-lasting flowers!

It’s Ice cream Season!  

Okay, let’s be serious, I don’t need to wait for summer to enjoy ice cream, but it does run through my mind more when it’s gets warm.  Think of ice cream like my version of an ice cold beer on a hot day! 

If you haven’t tried our loved local treat you’re missing some of the most fantastic and interesting ice cream that I’ve ever had!  Now I’ll be honest, their location isn’t open all the time, so it’s a little hard to get into if you’re busy, but there are lots of other locations now in Kitchener Waterloo where you can pick up and try these tasty creamy creations!  I’ve got a table below on where you can get your fix of Four All Ice Cream. 

If you want to know what makes their icecream so special, it’s how’s it made!  Locally sourced milk and cream is then combined with local and/or responsibly sourced ingredients, often in small batches.  The flavours change regularly and if you love one, make sure you keep going back to get it, get all of it!  Not only the ingredients are great, they are packaged in small should packaging, which will leave you asking yourself if you should just eat the whole thing,  of course you should!  Also when they’re small, you can buy many flavours and try them all! 

Make sure to stop into one of the below Four All pick up spots this summer, it’s a stop you won’t regret!

Stop in at Graffiti Market for this Icecream Taco! 

Where you can pick up these treats?

Business Spotlight:
Bao Sandwich Bar

If you’re looking for a tasty meal or even a snack, Bao Sandwich Bar is an incredible stop and one you will not regret! Located at 62 Balsam St, Unit #B106, Waterloo, the location is a little hard to find, look it up on the map and I can tell you it’s worth the search!  There also isn’t parking in it’s little parking lot most of the time, so street parking it is, this spot is also worth the little walk! 

A few tips about ordering, the Bao sandwich is best on the little Bao bun, steamy and soft, you will not regret this bun choice.  They offer bigger sandwichs on Baguettes, but the steamed bun really stands out for me!  Just get more of them and try some different varieties, they offer an incredible beef bao, I also really enjoy the crispy chicken and the crispy fish, I can tell you, there has never been  a person I went with who didn’t like the Bao they picked.  They have fresh and crispy ingredients inside a deliciously soft Bao bun that will keep you coming back at a price that won’t break the bank.  Don’t be fooled by the small size of the Bao however, I can only eat 2 before I’m full and I don’t even make it a combo but you can with nice crispy fries, or a duck poutine! 

This is a great place to stop with some friends who don’t mind sharing food so you can try a little of everything until you have your favourite. If you’re ordering with the office, they also offer local delivery through doordash or onelocal, so you can get your Bao fix for your whole office.  This hidden gem in Waterloo will quickly become a favourite and the reason for many cravings, I think about it often!

Business Spotlight:
Zehrs Click and Collect

Getting groceries is part of everyone’s regular routine, but if you’re like me, finding the time to spend walking around a grocery store just isn’t how I like to spend my free time.  Not only does grocery shopping take me a long time, but I also find I spend way more in the store than I have to on those tasty impulse items.

This year I discovered click and collect, now I’m not going to lie, it took a few orders to become the breeze it is now, so don’t be frustrated when you first try it.  When you first set up the service, you need to make sure to log in, if you are logged in, the system will remember what you have ordered in the past and will start smart suggesting when you are ordering.  Also, make sure to add your PC points card number to your profile so you can collect your points on all your purchases.

The search through the categories can be a little daunting, which is why I like to use the search bar function, but there is a great tip.  Instead of searching for just one item like bread, search for many items you know you need and put commas in between so you can find them all at once and save time (bread, milk, raisin bran, cottage cheese) this will speed up the process.  Once you’ve ordered a few times, your frequent items will appear in a list making it much easier to shop online.

I was worried about having someone who works for the store picking my items, worried I wouldn’t get the best produce or I would get milk about to expire, but I can assure you, I’ve been happy every time with the items chosen.  It seems the people who shop at Zehrs for you are shopping like they would for themselves and it’s much appreciated!   The other thing that the shoppers at Zehrs do which is great, is if an item you ordered online is out of stock in store, they will call you, ask if a substitute is an option, and give you the options for similar products.  The communication they provide is fantastic, and they always have great substitution suggestions.

The other reason I like the click and collect online ordering is that I am less likely to impulse buy that giant bag of chocolates or extra tub of fancy sounding ice cream.  The $3 I pay to have Zehrs complete the shop for me saves me money and most likely pounds in the long run!
 

Once your time frame has come and it’s time to pick up your groceries, you arrive at Zehrs, try the one at Stanley park, it has underground parking for their click and collect, so in the winter, you don’t have to worry about the snow!  Once you arrive, you call the number on the click and collect sign and they will come out with a cart of your items, which have been in their fridges and freezers waiting for you.  If you order one of those hot counter chickens, they will grab that when you call so it’s super fresh and hot still!  You can bag your own groceries from their cart, or if you have nice plastic reusable grocery containers, you can use those too.  The service is environmentally friendly, convenient, fast and fantastic!  Give Zehrs click and collect a try, I can guarantee after using it about 3 times, you’ll be hooked on it’s ease.
 

Business Spotlight – GroundHog Divers

Business Spotlight 

Business of the Week - La Cucina 

If you haven’t been to visit La Cucina in downtown Kitchener yet, you’re missing some of the best pizza in the Region!  This warm and cozy spot is one of our favourite spots for a random Tuesday date night, a great place to bring friends for a fantastic dinner out or even great for a special occasion.

 Why do I like this spot so much?  I love great Italian food and George appreciates a thin crust pizza.  While I don’t have the pizza, George craves it like nothing else in town and we have to go here often to get his fix!  Here’s what he likes about the pizza, the pizza oven is located in plain sight in the restaurant and you can watch your masterpiece being made, the ingredients are fresh and the crust is perfectly thin.  When the pizza comes to your table, it’s still bubbling hot and smells so good!  If you’re looking for a different pizza, they have so many varieties and Tuesday is Pizza night, all pizzas are only $13
 

If you prefer pasta, like I do, the pasta at La Cucina is incredible, all made in house and with homemade sauces and many ingredients imported to Italy.  We visited Italy in 2016 and La Cucina is as close as we’ve come to enjoying meals like we did in Italy.
 

To start I would suggest the Caesar salad, always fresh and crisp with nice and crunchy croutons.  If you’re looking for something to share, they have some incredible Antipasti plates with fresh meats, cheeses, and even house made porchetta!
 

The atmosphere at the restaurant is inviting, cozy and they have great tables for two that are intimate or space for family and friends to gather and enjoy a wonderful evening out.  If you love Italian food in a great atmosphere, La Cucina will not disappoint, you’ll be proud to have introduced your friends and family to this wonderful downtown Kitchener gem!

Business of the Week:  Morris Car Wash 

Spring is coming, it's been a long hard Winter, but Spring is almost here and with Spring it's time to get your car looking it's best!  

This is a photo of my beauty Ruby (Yes, I name my car) on a Sunny day in March.  I always take my car to Morris to make it shine inside and out!  

For those who have never been, here's a little about how it works:  The car wash is located at 533 King St E in Kitchener, but you have to access the driveway at the back of the car wash, which is off of Betzner.  Take that little dead end street to the end, and hang a right.  

If you're lucky there won't be a line, if there is a little line, take that time to clear out any garbage in your car and make sure that all your stuff is piled together so you can get maximum interior cleaning done.  I always remove my tissue box, my cards, chap sticks, pens, coins and any other little items so they can get into all the small spots to clean too.  

If you have children, remove the car seats so they can vacuum under there as well.  They do offer some exterior only packages, but I'll be honest, nothing feels better than getting into a car that has just been cleaned inside too, so for the few extra dollars, treat yourself!  If I'm doing my regular clean every 2 weeks, I use a #1, which includes:  The exterior wash, cleaning of the rubber mats, cleaning of the windows, cleaning of the dash and they my console, a light vacuum, which is great for my car and a towel dry at the end.  The entire was process is usually completed by about 4-5 gentlemen and I'm always impressed by their speed and how thorough they are.  

Once you drop your car at the back wash entrance, you go inside where you can watch your car wash being completed, then pay at the counter and wait outside for your car to be pulled up all shiny and bright and if the weather is warm enough, they will towel dry it outside.

For those of you who don't get your car cleaned on the regular, you can use a more in depth detailing package where you leave your car for the day and they will make sure to clean everything you require, including a seat shampoo if you need it.  I used this service once when my car was broken into and I wanted to make sure there was no glass left over inside.  Thanks to the thieves, I had a bright and shiny car inside and out!  If you need to know more about their packages click here.

If you're looking for a fantastic wash and little interior cleaning without having to spend the afternoon in your driveway.  Morris is my go to place for a wash and I always leave feeling like a million bucks!