The Small Ritual coffee shop – which drew local as well as national media coverage with an essay contest to determine a new owner – is no longer part of the White Rock scene.
The winner, Dan Whillans, is a teacher in Fernie.
And that’s where he has taken store equipment and fittings presented to him as part of his prize by Small Ritual Coffee Society manager Rydé Harding, and where – he confirmed in an email to Peace Arch News Tuesday – he plans to open his coffee shop.
“It’s very exciting,” he wrote. “I heard about the contest in November from my brother’s girlfriend in Ottawa – she had seen it on CBC and figured it fit my vision. I am hoping to create a community space that fosters creativity and learning.”
Meanwhile, acrimony continues between Harding and the owner of the coffee shop’s former venue, under the clock tower on Johnston Road.
Accusations have been flying in both directions following the departure of the society – along with site property, according to building owner Lisa Raverty – just before the end of last month.
Raverty, who now lives in Australia, told PAN that she and her property manager were more than willing to strike a deal with the contest winner to lease the space – even though she alleges the society owes her back rent.
She said she had been informed by Harding in January that the society would no longer be paying rent on the property and that no rent would be forthcoming until the new owner took over on May 1.
“I felt that six months with no income from this tenancy and no guarantee of an ongoing rental was more than I could contribute to the society,” Raverty said.
The society, originally a venture of members of the Southpoint Church, was registered as a non-profit in 2009 with the aim of building community to promote health development and sustainability.
Raverty said that while she understands the coffee society is no longer affiliated with the church, that connection had been a factor in her family’s continued support for the business.
“The family was very generous with the church and the society over the years when they could not manage rent payments, and contributed to seeing the coffee shop stay open over the years,” Raverty said online after PAN‘s March 2 story on the departure of the society from the venue.
Harding, however, maintains Raverty and her agent had shown no willingness to negotiate a transition to a new business owner, and she denies that any of the landlord’s property was taken.
“Absolutely nothing that belongs to Lisa was ever removed from the building,” she told PAN by email Saturday.
In her initial statement to PAN on March 1, Harding had written that “given the sale and uncertainty of the building, the society did not recommend the location under the clock tower as a solid long-term business venture” – although she did not at the time mention the contest winner lives in Fernie, located east of Cranbrook near the Alberta border.
Raverty takes issue with the term “uncertainty of the building.”
“There is nothing uncertain about the building,” Raverty said, noting that even though the contest had been set up without her knowledge, she would have been happy working with the winner.
“We’ve always had a very good relationship with our tenants, some of whom have been with us many years.”
Harding, however, maintains the owners “wanted nothing to do with the society nor the contest winner until it became evident that the space might sit empty.”
Raverty told PAN she takes exception to being characterized as the building’s new owner, as she previously owned a 50-per-cent share prior to acquiring the other half in December.
“This building has been owned by the same family since the 1970s,” Raverty wrote. “Rydé knows full well she is dealing with the same landlord.”
Raverty said she wonders exactly what Whillans won, since the majority of equipment was actually the property of a leasing company, according to a letter from Harding’s lawyer.
And Raverty said she also wonders what happened to the $100 fees collected for each contest entry – which she estimated should amount to around $8,000.
“It didn’t go for rent, that’s for sure,” she said.
As of Wednesday, Harding had not responded to a PAN request for information on the funds, however, Whillans said he has no concerns about Harding’s integrity.
“Rydé is an incredible honest and caring individual,” he wrote. “There is absolutely nothing illegitimate or unlawful about the contest or the contents (of the shop) I received.”
Harding had told PAN by email Monday that she is continuing to assist Whillans with his coffee-shop plans.
“I am going to check out his new location over Easter, and we are doing some brainstorming together,” she wrote.
