Café l’Acadie is Your Cozy Little Restaurant Bringing Acadian Food, Music, and Cheer to Nova Scotia
Already a seasoned entrepreneur, Gary leBlanc realized it was time for a new venture in 2012. When an opportunity arose to open a new business in Truro, he thought hard about what he wanted to do. He noticed that while Nova Scotia boasted many different cuisines and restaurants, it lacked an Acadian presence. “I could get cultural foods from around the world almost on every second street corner,” Gary explains, “Except a culture that was born in this province.” Enter Café l’Acadie!
Offering delicious Acadian food, enticing Acadian music, and a clean and friendly restaurant, Café l’Acadie is a Nova Scotian gem now operating on the outskirts of Peggy’s Cove. “I’ve cooked my cultural food all of my life. I come from a line of great cooks of our traditional food,” Gary says proudly. The food is, indeed, quite incredible, as is the restaurant itself, for it offers not only food but local art as well.
“We have a designated space for local artists and artisans,” Gary continues, “I’m really happy to do that. It connects me with local artisans.”
Gary secured the current venue of Café l’Acadie through a CBDC loan. Alongside the restaurant itself, Gary was able to open up an AirBnB on the second floor of the building to bring in revenue during the quiet days of the tourism season. He explains that, when applying for the CBDC loan, the application process is what excited him most. “It asked me every question. It really helped me put on paper what my vision was,” he says.
“The biggest milestone for me is having a permanent home,” he continues, “Knowing that this is home, there’s so much that I want to do, and so much I can do.”
Gary intends to make Acadian music a bigger part of the restaurant, and to open an outdoor space to enjoy the Café’s food in warmer weather.
“The potential to be able to tap into CBDC further down the line is just such a great opportunity to have,” Gary says. “I am living my dream.”