In the third installation of our video series celebrating the Uptown Waterloo BIA’s 50th anniversary and featuring Uptown business owners meet Linda Vongkhamchanh and Tim Goodwin of Champa Kitchen and Janine Saunders of Babylon Sisters Wine Bar.
Linda moved to Canada from Laos when she was 14. With her mother back home and her father often away as a truck driver, if Linda was craving something she had to learn to make it for herself. When the pandemic hit Linda and her husband Tim started providing traditional food recognizing not many people were providing Lao home-cooked meals. Since opening, Linda and Tim have found a lot of comradery and community coming out to support them. The overwhelming support they’ve had helps to keep them motivated as they work 90-100 hours/week while also trying to raise their children.
Janine focuses on consignment wines you won’t find elsewhere while also trying to have as many female wine producers on their list to provide customers a truly unique opportunity to try something new. Opening during the pandemic brought its fair share of hardships and scary moments, but along with it came an attitude of ‘let’s help each other out’ with others in the hospitality industry. Rather than compete for customers the experience of ‘being in it together’ has Janine encouraging her customers to support other businesses beyond her own.
2 фев 2023
