LA Chefs is the largest catering service in Southern Alberta, centering on larger events, between 150 and 5000 guests at a time.  “But that is not where we started,” explains Marci Stickel.  “We began as a mom and pop operation serving beef on a bun out of our garage what seems like a long time ago.” laughs Marci.

“I remember a day in May 2006; we had three weddings on the go and one minivan, which we had dubbed “White Lightning”, to do the deliveries. It was a long day but we did it,” she explains.  It was at that point and after too many 20 – hour days, that sparked the realization the business needed to expand. So Marci and then business partner Loren, started looking for a larger venue. As the business continued to flourish, even further expansion was necessary.  In November 2006, ‘LA Chefs Catering & Events’ was branded and implemented a strategic business move to partner with the Coast Lethbridge Hotel & Conference Centre in an exclusive catering arrangement.

“It was a hard decision,” states Marci, “We wanted to stay loyal to our smaller clients, but knew the expansion was a smart business decision for the company.” Now, LA Chefs handles multiple events on most days of the week, and during the summers up to ten weddings on any given weekend.

Community Futures Lethbridge Region was also a big part of the company growth.  “They were open-minded and willing to listen; they validated the ideas and understood the direction we wanted to go.  They saw our passion.  We were able to secure financing and re-invest in our business,” explains Stickel.” We grew so fast, once the decision was made.”

Enduring support for an entrepreneur’s budding idea – to three thriving businesses. Sit down with Ram and Olga Khanal at one of their three restaurants and you’re immediately comfortable.

With Ram’s energetic passion and Olga’s calm kindness, it’s easy to get lost in great conversation. Engaged in the community both personally and in business, the pair are proud of their adopted country and Southern Alberta where they call home. Their love shows up in how they’ve built their businesses; creating meaningful relationships with local suppliers and giving back to the community through various local charities. While the Khanal’s ambitions don’t stop with their current three restaurants, it did begin with one: The Picture Butte Hotel and Tavern. This restaurant, which provided the foundation for their company, would not have been possible without the support of Community Futures.

A history of ambition Ram, who was born and raised in Nepal, and Olga, who was raised in Ukraine, met on a cruise ship. But they weren’t lounging poolside – they were working in one of the many restaurants on the ship. After years on the high seas, the pair decided to settle down and start a family. Instead of settling in one of their home countries, they chose to start their next chapter in Canada. During the immigration process, they laid down roots in Picture Butte and Ram found employment using his MBA in the Oil and Gas industry. “It was a job I had dreamed of for 17 years – and I hated it every day,” Ram said. “So at that moment, when I was travelling back and forth to work, I decided to open a restaurant.” Pushing for a dream

Both Ram and Olga had plenty of experience in the hospitality industry, but they didn’t have the capital needed to start a business. All they had was a savings account earmarked for the home they intended to purchase in Butte.After a long discussion, the couple decided they wanted a home and a business, so they put a down payment on The Picture Butte Hotel and Tavern where they could live and work. After buying the hotel and moving in, they took out a loan to renovate the space and get it back in working condition. However, midway through renovations, they ran out of money and Ram found himself trudging from bank to bank looking for someone to help fund his dreams. Bank after bank shut their door, leaving him out in the cold. Finally, a banker suggested Ram and Olga try speaking with the folks at Community Futures.

Even recently, when the fallout of the pandemic all but halted the hospitality industry, Community Futures was able to step in to help once again. In early 2020, Ram and Olga, who already owned both The Picture Butte Hotel and Bar and The Telegraph Taphouse, had their sights on the newly vacant Water Tower. Following their instincts, they purchased the space, and once again, experienced unbridled success in the first couple of months after opening. Then COVID-19 hit and sent the world spiralling. Because Ram and Olga’s third business did not exist before 2020, they were not eligible for CERB or most of the other government aid. However, through Community Futures, they were able to secure alternative government aid to access the money needed to make it through the worst of the lockdowns and find success on the other side.

Building a thriving future for our community With the help of Community Futures’ loans and mentorship, Ram moved from a job that didn’t fit him to owning and running three successful restaurants with his wife Olga. Not only has this given them a chance at living their dreams, but it has allowed them to build back into the community they love by partnering with local producers. As Ram and Olga’s Butte Hospitality chain of restaurants continues to grow, they are excited to bring the best of Southern Alberta to the rest of the province – and even to the nation. Visit Ram and Olga’s three restaurants for delicious global cuisine.

Mike Esquivel knows the importance of hard work to get ahead.  He started working for his grandfather at the age of twelve and as soon as he was of legal age to get into the fast food industry, he took the first position he could get as a dishwasher.  He worked hard, taking extra shifts, volunteering to do more and he soon graduated up the ladder until he was working as a waiter in the upper end restaurants in Edmonton while supporting himself through college.

He took no holidays or extra time off and was no stranger to receiving the employee of the month award.  “My focus was to learn and train so I could move up the ladder within the corporation,” says Mike.  He wanted to understand this industry and all aspects of the micro business systems.  His hard work paid off and he was recruited by Planet Hollywood to train to be one of the site managers.  “I watched my managers and learned what not to do and my efforts paid off.  I trained in San Diego then finally got my own restaurant to manage in Vancouver.”

Mike spent four years in Vancouver before returning to Lethbridge to help his parents with a new business venture they started.

“Everything I learned about a responsible work ethic came from my parents”, explains Mike. “I watched my mom and dad work sometimes as many as three jobs so I could have the educational opportunities and a career of my choice.  So when I had an opportunity to help them, I was glad to come back to Alberta.”

They were a young couple, with a young family who had a good idea for a business. However, their education and work histories were not in business management and they wanted some assurance to move forward.  “A good idea is great but without a plan, it is just a good idea,” states Sarah Jorgensen owner of Lethbridge Tactical Supply.      So she and her husband Shaun took their idea and went to Community Futures Lethbridge, where they attended the training workshops, worked with the professionals, completed the research and developed their business plan.  At the end of the process, they entered the Chinook Entrepreneur Challenge for Southern Alberta and placed in the top three finalists, confirming their idea was indeed a good one. 

“I would recommend the process for anyone who wants to start a business,” states Sarah, “I learned the inner workings of a business, from target marketing, to researching the statistics.  It was a confidence builder and confirmed we were doing things right.”

Lethbridge Tactical Supply opened their doors in January 2012, and supply high quality gear and safety equipment to a variety of industries from police and emergency services, security corporations, construction, and oil field companies.  Their small business provides products to customers in the Southern Alberta region and has been developing a loyal following as far away as Red Deer.

A progressive approach to an off-the-wall business idea

Age is just a number, they say. However, when you’re under thirty and looking to start a business, that number becomes very important, especially to banks. For Zach Palmarin, his youth was just one of the many barriers on his journey from student to entrepreneur. But he had a good idea – and he wouldn’t let anything stand in his way. “There were a lot of roadblocks, but I believed in [my idea] and really wanted to make it happen.”

A passion to ‘float’

Today, Zach runs Tranquility Float – a float centre on the south side of Lethbridge. A burgeoning new industry, ‘floating’ boasts a variety of health benefits in everything from pain management to promoting a better night’s sleep.

How do you ‘float’?
During a float therapy session, participants enter a sensory deprivation chamber then float in warm Epsom salt-saturated water for 90 minutes (or more). It’s supposed to mimic the
sensation of floating in space and allows for complete relaxation of both the mind and body. Like Zach, floating is a young enough industry that its potential outweighs its demonstrated
profitability. Combined, the youth of both Zach and his chosen industry made finding funding at a traditional bank impossible. So, when Community Futures offered help, Zach was able to move from aspiring dreamer to business owner.

Equipped to chase a dream

Zach began his journey to entrepreneurship at Lethbridge College and the University of Lethbridge, where he graduated with a Bachelor’s in Business Management with a major in
marketing.

Armed with a degree, Zach was ready to dip his toes into the working world. After some searching around, he landed a role managing a health supplements store in Medicine Hat.
Then, on a trip to Calgary, he discovered floating and was deeply moved by the experience. Despite the distance, he would drive back and forth to Calgary just to float. While floating was going well, his job wasn’t. “I was just kind of unhappy and I wanted to do more,” Zach said. “So, I started researching businesses to open and the idea came to me to put two and two together and start a floating business.”
Using a business plan he crafted while at the college as a starting point, he started to draw up a plan for Tranquility Float. From 2016 to 2017, he studied the market and contacted
entrepreneurs in the industry to create a solid business plan he could take to the banks to get the funding he needed to pursue his dream.

A question of age

At 24 years old, with only two years experience under his belt, Zach knew he was young – and sometimes even felt too young. But, despite his doubts, he believed his college and
university experience had prepared him to take on the challenge. Unfortunately, the banks didn’t feel the same way. “They looked at me as being really young and I guess not mature or established enough to open a business,” Zach said. “Most banks didn’t even look at the business plan, they just turned me away.” While his youth made dealing with the banks difficult, the young age of the floating industry didn’t help either.
Each time Zach made an appointment with a bank, he had to explain what floating was and try to convince them the industry had real potential in Lethbridge. While he never came away from a bank with the funding needed to build his business, he did get helpful feedback on his business plan each time. And every time, he took that feedback and used it to sharpen his plan. But, no matter how great his business plan became, he still faced the same immovable wall at each bank until he was almost ready to give up. When one of the bankers mentioned Community Futures, Zach mustered his courage for one last pitch effort. “It was the last straw,” he said. “If it didn’t work I was ready to put it off until later in life when I had more experience and more money saved up.”

The human approach of Community Futures

When Zach finally approached Community Futures, he was surprised to find the previous roadblocks all but evaporate. “It was nice. The minute I stepped in they knew what floating was and wanted to see it happen.”
Zach presented his business plan and blew the Community Futures crew away. While their familiarity with the industry and his stellar business plan had fared well, there
was still the question of his age, which had stopped him so many times before. “At Community Futures, they take the age out and look at you based on your life stage –
which was huge.” With this approach, Community Futures determined Zach was ready to take on a business and gave him the funding he needed. It’s all green lights (with no red in sight) With a year of preparation under his belt, Zach, grateful for a chance, took the funding and immediately put it to work. “At that point, everything was planned. It was just calling to get the equipment ordered and transferring the funds to the contractors and it was off.” Within six months, Tranquility Float was operational and completely booked up for months
– including reservations from the folks at Community Futures who had come to see Zach’s dream come to life.
After three years in business, Zach hopes to grow, turning Tranquility Float into a larger wellness centre and expand it into many new forms of therapy.

When Bryan Pachal started Effect Therapy, he wanted to create a space where he could push the limits of massage therapy. His vision included 3D anatomy software to help
educate clients about their own musculoskeletal system in addition to their treatment and a cryo spa that would allow them to do full body cryo treatments “I wanted to help elevate massage therapy, or the perception of massage therapy beyond that as simply a spa or some way to pamper yourself,” Bryan said. “There’s lots of practical
and functional applications for our therapy” With the help of a loan from Community Futures, he was able to build a facility to match his lofty ambitions and provide massage therapy treatments that aren’t available anywhere else in Lethbridge.
Bryan’s dedication to his business dream has found success – so much so that Effect Therapy has even expanded to a second location in the city.

Maintaining control through volatility

After graduating high school, Bryan split his time between pursuing a business degree and working in the oil and gas industry. But before finishing school, he transitioned to working
full-time in oil and gas. Then in 2015, the plummeting price of oil and the resulting upheaval prompted Bryan to reconsider his choice. “I figured I’d done three out of the four years of a business degree and had experience running a small pet store, so I might as well be in business,” Bryan said. “While I’d still have the same volatility, I’d have more say in how I respond to that as opposed to just being told what to do.”
So, as he considered his future endeavors, Bryan remembered how massage had been so helpful during his years playing football. However, he didn’t want to simply create a practice
for himself. “I originally went into it as an entrepreneur, not a massage therapist,” he said.

Ambitions bigger than the bank

From the beginning, Bryan didn’t want to follow the tried and true method of finding a small office space for his practice then growing from there. Instead, he wanted to start with a fully-functioning massage therapy space where he could offer cutting-edge treatment. That meant his ask was much higher than the usual massage therapist’s. “I think our ambition was probably our biggest hurdle,” Bryan said. Going into the funding phase, Bryan assumed he’d eventually end up at Community Futures. He’d heard about the program from his time in business school and already knew his vision of a high-tech building for such a new business would put Effect Therapy outside of what banks were willing to tolerate. But still, he had to try. He took his business plan to a bank to see if he could get funding. After some back and forth where the bankers did their best to help, ultimately Bryan didn’t have the history or experience to match his vision – so the bank wouldn’t take a chance on him.

Building Effect Therapy

As soon as Bryan received the funding, he started the process of bringing his dream to life. Within months, the building was ready and Bryan opened the doors of Effect Therapy on
the westside, staffed by just three massage therapists – with Bryan and his wife Kira working the front end. Two years later, this bustling business employs 13 staff, including eight massage therapists and five front-end staff. But Bryan didn’t stop there. Leveraging his success on the westside, he went back to the bank to fund another location
on the southside.
“The full circle was the bank that turned us down before, now saw enough history and enough experience to say okay, the second time around, we got you,” Bryan said.
For Community Futures, that’s the perfect success story.