For Episode 32, Host Vanessa Smith interviews Jessica Fritz, a German-born entrepreneur who, with her husband Mike, owns The Gallery Coffee House & Bistro in Charlottetown, the seasonal Black & White Cafe & Bistro in St. Peters Bay, and Fritz Chocolates. Jessica shares moving from Germany to Toronto in her 30s, then relocating to PEI in 2015 for the ocean, affordability, and lifestyle, while transitioning from pharma and marketing into food service. Their business began with Maritime Marzipan, expanded into Fritz Chocolates after customer demand, then added coffee and sandwiches in St. Peters Bay, later opening The Gallery in 2021 to create a year-round base and enable Jessica to leave her full-time job. They discuss local wholesale with Sobeys, competition, staffing challenges, tourism trends, recent renovations and the importance of community, resources, and authenticity.

Connect with Jessica here:

https://www.instagram.com/thegallerycoffeehouseandbistro/

https://www.instagram.com/blackandwhitecafeandbistro/

https://www.instagram.com/fritzchocolates/

This episode was audio-produced by Adam Ramsay.

A big thanks to our sponsors for making this episode possible. Learn more about them here:

Fiddling Fisherman Lookout

Consolidated Credit Union

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