On November 25, while going over the receipts for the first day that Trifon鈥檚 Pizza and Family Restaurant was open in the Canora Centre Mall, Rose Gray (owner), said that the patronage volume was a pleasant surprise.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 For the previous few weeks, Gray and her partner, Joey Krochak, have been
working in the area used by the former restaurant, thus allowing the new business to operate without anything to impede traffic flow.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The restaurant has a fresh, new look that is welcoming to customers of all ages, said Gray. However, the most significant change is the menu because the restaurant is now operating under a franchise agreement, which ensures that all the food served meets rigid standards.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 With comfortable seating for 70, the Trifon鈥檚 franchise ensures that the same great food and the same great service is guaranteed, she said. Gray and Krochak were trained through the head office as part of franchise agreement. It is up to them to set the standards so the same great service is given to every customer.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Asked to describe the type of food being served, Gray said it is essentially a Greek-based menu. Training the staff how to prepare the food is relatively easy and in virtually no time, the cook in Canora is preparing the same dish as what is available at any Trifon鈥檚 franchise.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The big attraction to the Trifon鈥檚 franchise is the quality of the food, Gray said. Having just opened for business, the initial goal is to be open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. seven days a week. Including the hours they put in, there are 11 persons working in the restaurant.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 While Gray said she is still learning about the franchise, Krochak is familiar with it, having grown up with his family being friends with the original franchise owners. While he grew up around the franchise owners, Krochak did spend much of his working career working for oil rigs and then he changed careers, focussing on framing and concrete work.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Gray had worked in a number of different jobs, but her current focus is on driving a semi-trailer (tractor) unit for a local business. She plans to be at the restaurant to make sure that everyone knows their jobs and then she plans to go back to trucking, at least for a short period. She recognizes that the current demand on her time is difficult and that she will have to make adjustments. She also wants to make sure she leaves some time for her family. She has a son, Brayden, who lives with her in Canora. Her older son, Josh, who is 17, lives in British Columbia with his grandparents.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The layout of the restaurant has been switched around and people enjoy coming in just to see the new layout, and how it has changed from when it was called the Harvest Inn Family Restaurant, Gray said. One of the biggest changes is that the there is a more-open concept and the cash register is near the front door. New signage should be arriving in the near future.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 In the design, a few minor improvements were made, such as having the tables covered in blackboard, Gray said. There is a bowl of coloured chalk on each table and the customers are encouraged to let their artistic side show. The owners say they have received very many positive comments about that one minor change.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 In the first few days that the business has been open, the traffic has been constant, she said. Customers appreciate, both, having a restaurant in the mall again, and they appreciate the quality promised by the Trifon鈥檚 franchise.
