There are entrepreneurs and there are ‘co-prenuers,’ as Beverly O’Hara and Franc Charpentier prefer to call themselves.
The couple are co-owners of Just Like Mom’s home-made baking delivery service in Union Bay.
Since O’Hara opened the bakery in late-2009, the business has gone from a mostly wholesale to primarily retail operation.
Essentially, she bakes and he delivers.
“Team work,” O’Hara said in response to a question about how they make it work. “A lot of hours working towards a common goal. We both get up early and get to work, and neither of us stop at night until it is all done, put away and cleaned up.”
They added a little bakery store at the foot of their driveway in 2011.
O’Hara has a part-time employee to help with prep and a casual student who helps with chores and cleaning after school.
Besides delivering, Charpentier shops, grooms the yard and — weather permitting — entertains customers with his guitar.
“I couldn’t do this without Franc’s help,” O’Hara said. “He is the lucky one who gets to meet and greet our customers as I am usually in the bakery. I always enjoy it when I get a call on the walkie talkie: ‘Can you come out, these people really want to meet you?’ Sometimes they are from Saskatchewan, which is where I am from, so that is nice.”
Last year, the couple remodelled their concession trailer to sell ice cream, smoothies and coffee for the spring and summer months. Summer is especially busy with tourists and a tour bus that stops regularly.
Their guest books contain comments from around the world. They even have an unknown artist who draws cartoon pictures.
Bev and Franc have various ways of making work fun, like engaging in muffin wrapping competitions to see who is the fastest.
They also manage to take time to themselves by seeing a movie in town, visiting with friends or occasionally treating themselves to an overnight stay at a local spa.
Just Like Mom’s offers a variety of breads, cakes, muffins, scones, tarts, pies, and homemade jams and jellies. It is located at 265 Muschamp Rd. in Union Bay.
www.justlikemoms.ca
reporter@comoxvalleyrecord.com
