Owners of Mickey D's, an institution in one small Cape Breton town, are retiring
The owners of Mickey D's restaurant in the small town of New Waterford, N.S., are retiring, but looking for the right buyers who won't change the business too much.
Joanne Mossop and her husband, Terry, have owned Mickey D's since 2010, but Joanne has been working at the small eatery since 2000. Mossop said running the business during COVID-19, along with a recent family illness, have caused her to make the hard choice of selling the longstanding family business that has been in New Waterford since the 1970s.
Mossop said the past several years have started to take a toll on her both physically and emotionally, even though she loves the business that has been part of her life for over two decades.
"The last few years have been really hard with COVID and everything, and I would have never thought of retiring, but we're getting up in years, and my mom just took a stroke a couple of weeks ago, and just everything is happening so fast," said Mossop.
"As much as I love Mickey D's, I want to be able to walk out of here when I go."
The small establishment — which has been running for over 40 years — is very important to the town.
"It's a tradition in New Waterford. It's really the last longstanding family restaurant in our town," said Coun. Darren O'Quinn, who represents the area on Cape Breton Regional Municipality council.
"Way back when we had a lot of family restaurants, like Simeon's and stuff like that. A lot of them have come and gone and this is the last one where the people go."
Mossop said she understands that whoever buys the restaurant will make some changes, but she wants the eatery to continue to be named Mickey D's and keep a similar atmosphere, and of course the same staff.
"Changes have to come. But as long as they stay a family restaurant, it should be fine. The people enjoy coming here. And a big part of that is the staff. People come to enjoy the staff. They carry on and things, just like you were in a going to someone's home," she said.
COVID-19 has made business difficult, but Mossop has still taken it upon herself to make sure her customers are happy by offering take-out options throughout the pandemic.
"A lot of our regular customers don't go out that much, and that's why I deliver now myself, and I also get to see the people who aren't out much anymore," she said. "A few times, too, on a Monday or Tuesday, it's storming, but that [doesn't] matter, I have a four-wheel drive."
Mossop said there have been other problems that have caused her headaches in the last two years, like the restaurant flooding.
"We left Sunday and came back Tuesday night, I walked in and the hose in the kitchen was on. There was more water going out the front door. It was just a disaster," she said.
Like the other obstacles the restaurant faced, they pushed through it and eventually fully reopened Mickey D's. But Mossop said after her mother's recent health problems, she and Terry decided to retire to enjoy their life after Mickey D's.
Mossop said her staff are worried some things may change when the business is sold, but they're supporting her.
"Right now, they're a little concerned. They don't want to see Mickey D's closing or us retiring, but they understand," she said. "It was a hard decision, but I'm not in the best shape and neither is my husband, and it's time to let somebody else take it over."
O'Quinn also echoed similar worries as the Mickey D's staff, but wished the couple well.
"We're sad to see them go, but we hope that the new owners will try to keep their tradition alive and keep Mickey D's as a staple in the town. It means a lot to a lot of people in town, including myself," said O'Quinn.
Mossop said they will keep Mickey D's open until a new owner is found, so customers hopefully won't see much of a disruption when the business transfers to someone else.
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