Rebecca South started working in the restaurant business when she was 15 with a job at the former Trattoria Della Nonna in Lunenburg. But working in the restaurant business wasn’t part of her immediate plan.
“I thought it was something I would do as a retired person,” South says.
When she was in her fourth year of studying geography at Memorial University, her brother approached her with a business proposal: Open a restaurant at a building on the Mahone Bay waterfront. He’d start a business in the same building. South created a business plan in two months, got the financing, and opened Rebecca’s Restaurant in Mahone Bay. She was 23.
The opening had its challenges: fridges that broke down and there was a delay in getting the liquor license. But South was sure about the menu.
“I knew right away I wanted it to be health conscious and locally sourced,” she says.
The menu changes with the seasons. In the winter, for example, dishes feature a lot of root vegetables. The chowder, fishcakes, are popular as are new dishes like the Buddha Bowl. Much of the menu is great for those who are vegetarian, vegan, or have dietary concerns. Chef, Misty Thibeault leads the kitchen and South does the baking. The restaurant doesn’t have a deep fryer.
“We turned away thousands of people because we don’t have fish and chips,” South says.
But the menu caught on. The restaurant has since moved to its current location at Edgewater Street. In the summer, the lineups are out the door. South says locals have been loyal, visiting in the shoulder hours and the off season.
South wasn’t thinking about opening another restaurant but another opportunity presented itself with a property South was eyeing that was already equipped with a kitchen and pub. After renovations, South opened Becca’s Bayport Pub in 2017.
South no longer works at Bayport Pub but remains as the landlord of the property. Colton Daniel, who worked at Rebecca’s Restaurant, and Jeffery Pelkey took over the pub this past summer.
“We are definitely indebted to her,” Pelkey says. “She provided us with a future we never thought possible”
Pelkey says South taught them a lot of lessons of the business, including how to take things lightly.
“She’s become a master at that, I think,” Pelkey says.
And while South no longer helps out with the pub, part of her remains in the feeling of the place, particularly in the décor and design.
“She’s from the community, so she built and aesthetic in the pub that makes it feel like a friend or family’s kitchen,” Pelkey says.
Bayport Pub will be closed until February 14 when they will be back for opening weekend and Valentine’s Day specials. They’ll also be starting a Sunday brunch.
Rebecca’s Restaurant, meanwhile, will open its doors mid-January after a two-week break for cleaning. South, now 30, is working on other business ventures now, based on ideas she came up with while walking the area’s beaches.
“The best thing about it is being your own boss and calling the shots,” South says. “And coming in and seeing it all working and seeing everyone smiling and having a good time.”
