Residents in Yellowknife’s downtown have few options when craving a late night snack.
Those choices expanded as of March 20 when B7 Convenience Store opened.
“This was my plan for a long time,” said Manush Feyisa, the owner of the store. “Because I’m a cab driver, I’ve heard a lot of talk that people couldn’t find a convenience store in downtown.”
Located in a former flower shop in the Gallery Building on Franklin Avenue, the business sells a variety of daily essentials, like pop, coffee, snacks and toiletries.
The store has faced challenges during its first month of operations, however. The initial plan was to open for 24 hours during the first week, but with fewer customers than expected, Feyisa was forced to settle for 8 a.m. to midnight.
“There weren’t a lot of people visiting during the midnight, maybe sometimes just three to four of them,” he said.
He added that a new marketing plan is in the works to attract more customers. That strategy will include a social media page, a website for online ordering and 24-hour delivery service for $10 to $12.
Beyond that, Feyisa also plans to start a kitchen that will serve burgers and Mexican-style cuisine.
But all of that comes at a cost, he said hiring someone to draft the blueprint, renovations and kitchen equipment will amount to a minimum of $100,000.
Feyisa is now looking for support in the form of a business loan or support programs he’s eligible for through the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment.
“Some of the programs, they are only available to you if the business has existed for six months,” he said.
Opened seven days a week, the store’s moniker comes from B for Feyisa’s son’s first name Braka, and Feyisa wants to have a family of seven.
