These businesses were nominated for a Torch Award by both their customers and other local businesses. “This year we would like to congratulate the…15 businesses for their outstanding commitment to our community. “Each year our BBB honours businesses that go above and beyond when it comes to honest and ethical business practices and customer-service excellence,” said Rosalind Scott, president and CEO of BBB serving Vancouver Island. in Duncan won in the Roofing Contractor category, and Shawnigan Lake’s The Super Plumber took home top prize in the Plumbers category. Two Cowichan Valley-based businesses are among the 15 winners in the Better Business Bureau serving Vancouver Island’s annual Torch Awards this year. It’s lunch-time menu includes a BLT, which is made of thick-cut pork belly, lettuce and sliced tomato on true-grain focaccia with the restaurant’s house-made garlic aiola. Gouda, thick-cut pork belly and arugula layered on true-grain focaccia with chipotle aioli. Its morning menu includes such delights as a Hearty Breakfast Panini, which consists of a poached egg, smoked B.C. The Urban Forest Bistro opens Monday to Friday for breakfast at 7:30 a.m., 8 a.m. Business has been good so far and we love operating in downtown Duncan.” 1 as we got the restaurant up and running, and another grand opening on Nov. “This is our first restaurant and we had a soft opening on Oct. “We then began focusing on setting up the Urban Forest Bistro, but it took a lot longer that we thought it would,” he said. MacQueen was operating a crepe cart at a number of venues, including the Duncan and Cedar farmers’ markets, before he was forced to shut down when the COVID-19 pandemic began last year. MacQueen is a Red Seal chef who trained at Vancouver Island University and has worked as a banquet chef at Duncan’s Ramada Inn and as a sous chef at Genoa Bay Cafe. MacQueen brings his culinary talents to the business, while Howarth takes care of the books and other responsibilities at the restaurant.
The Urban Forest Bistro is owned and operated by a brother-sister team Logan MacQueen and Jessica Howarth. A new restaurant specializing in paninis, soups and salads has opened at 23 Kenneth St.