After 21 years of owning the Bird House Nature Company in downtown Orillia, Janet Grand says being forced to retire from the business after suffering a stroke last year is bittersweet.
“It’s hard to give it up and I really miss my customers," said Grand who had operated the store with her husband, Ron Reid, since 1999.
While moving on is difficult for Grand, she is proud of the community that has been created around her business that supplied top-quality bird feeders and wild birdseed to customers.
She said the store was appreciated by people who love to watch birds in the comfort of their own back yard.
“We were probably the only ones in the whole city who would be happy to hear that their robins are coming back or they had cardinals at their feeder. They had someone to talk to about their passion,” Grand explained.
Grand believes the legacy of her and her store will be people's greater appreciation of nature.
“It was always my goal to have people leave the store knowing more about nature than they did when they came in. We taught people a lot,” she said proudly.
Grand is thankful for the support from her loyal customers over the years, and while she will no longer be there for them, she is happy that the store still will be.
“I was afraid we might have to close it down. My customers would have been very unhappy with me,” she said with a laugh.
Taking over the store's reins is Patricia Cousineau, who comes from a background in finance.
Grand says she trusts Cousineau will provide the same great customer service and products that customers have been accustomed to when visiting the Mississaga Street store.
“I think she will do a great job. She is a very competent person and understands the downtown core. I think she will be really good with the customers,” Grand said.
Cousineau had been in the market to buy a business since last year and was looking for something that allowed her to stay in the community where she was born. She wanted a business that allowed her to interact with people and was drawn to the nature industry.
With little experience in the sector, Cousineau says she has been spending a good chunk of her days getting up to speed.
“I’ve been learning a ton and I’ve utilized every little resource I can get my hands on. I’ve done a lot of research, read a lot of books, and I’ve been observing by putting up some feeders in my yard," she said.
The most helpful learning resource for the new owner of the store is the two part-time staff members who stayed on with Cousineau after Grand retired.
Being the new owner of any business can be a challenge at first, but the COVID-19 pandemic has presented an even bigger challenge.
“It’s a scary time and I just bought a business that could put myself under especially because a big part of our store is walking in to come see what we have, which isn’t happening right now,” she explained.
The saving grace is the loyal customer base that Grand built over her two decades at the store. Those customers are still supporting the business and taking advantage of the curbside pickup service Cousineau recently implemented.
“There has been a really positive response to the curbside pickup for the week that I’ve been open,” Cousineau said.
Her biggest challenge is informing customers that the store is open.
“I’ve been using social media a lot, but there is a strong base of clients that don’t use Facebook or Instagram or going on my website, so it’s important that I spread that I’m open by word of mouth," she said.
Currently the store is open for curbside pickup from Tuesday to Saturday only. However, after the Victoria Day long weekend, Cousineau plans on opening the store on Mondays as well.
Once the pandemic is in the rearview mirror, Cousineau will put her own twist on the store without disrupting what has kept loyal customers coming back over the years.
“My plans are to work closely with some local artists and bring in their work. We have some great ideas, things we don’t want to announce yet,” Cousineau teases.
Many loyal customers have contacted Cousineau to thank her for keeping the store alive and look forward to continuing their shopping at the popular downtown store.
