Member Profile – Crystany’s Brasserie
This month marks the fifth anniversary of Crystany’s Brasserie – a family owned, 100 per cent certified gluten-free restaurant in the village of Canning.
Savannah Maxner is the current owner and manager of Crystany’s Brasserie. She says her family opened up Crystany’s Brasserie five years ago because of the fact that millions of people suffer from Celiac disease.
In Savannah’s family alone, three of them are unable to eat gluten, so they understand the difficulty of finding an inclusive menu. “People needed a safe and beautiful restaurant to dine in and be completely wowed by their experience. This inspired us to open a 100 per cent gluten free restaurant,” she says.
Inclusivity on a menu is extremely important to people who have food restrictions, and Crystany’s Brasserie understands the importance of providing delicious food that many can enjoy. Along with being gluten free, they also cater to a lot of different allergies and dietary restrictions such as dairy free, egg free, vegan and more. “When customers know they have multiple options and that we take allergies seriously, they are able to relax and enjoy their meal. It means a lot to customers to know that we care, we understand, and we provide.”
The Third Wave
This pandemic has been hard on small businesses, and Crystany’s is no exception. “When the first round hit, we had to shut down and be open for take out only. The communities around us supported us and we were able to keep our doors open,” Savannah says.
“We were very grateful and thankful for [their support]. This last wave we saw a huge difference, because each municipality had to stay in their own municipality. Our take out orders had dropped to less than 25 per cent, which put our staff at risk for their jobs and for the business to keep the doors open,” she says.
“It was a hard wave, but thankfully we are starting to see the other side.”
Supporting Local
Savannah says that supporting local is vital to any community: “We rely on local support, therefore we buy local when we can. When you support local, you get better quality products [and] create business connections while learning about farming and why we need farmers.”
To show their support, Crystany’s Brasserie purchases their ingredients from various local companies and farmers, like Meadowbrook Meat Market and Charles Keddy Farms. They also carry many local Nova Scotian wines and craft beers, from companies like Sea Level Brewing and Planters Ridge Winery to name a few.
According to Savannah, the most unique thing about their restaurant is that “everything is made in house; all of our staff and family members have a hand in creating the delicious food that is prepared and served to our customers.”
Another unique feature mentioned was having the opportunity to own a business in her hometown. “Nova Scotia is a small province, but its home,” she says. “Growing up in the small village of Canning and having the restaurant housed there means we know most people. You say hi to your neighbours, you stop and chat with someone while going to the grocery store, or any other business along your route. That’s what makes Nova Scotia and its communities special. It takes a village to raise a business or help a family.”
Celebration
To celebrate their fifth anniversary, Crystany’s Brasserie is hosting live music this weekend (June 25 and June 26). Friday night will have live music by Inigo Cuartero from 6 p.m. – 8 p.m., while Saturday night will have live music by Paul Brushett from 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. Reservations are encouraged. In addition, they are having a few giveaways, along with food and drink specials. On Friday and Saturday there will be a draw for a $50 gift certificate.
With restrictions starting to lift, Savannah says that they “are thankful that we will be able to celebrate in some form.” You can learn more about their celebrations and what this weekend holds by visiting their Facebook page.
After five successful years in business and lots of reason to celebrate, we asked Savannah what the next five years holds for Crystany’s Brasserie. Her thoughts? “Our focus has never changed. We are working on the next stage and can’t wait to share that. What I will say is that our goal is to always grow, learn new things, teach, expand, and inspire.”
Happy fifth anniversary, Crystany’s Brasserie!
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