The Noble Pig to launch rebranded take-and-bake market

KAMLOOPS – Premier John Horgan says restaurants, pubs and cafes will reopen during phase two of the economic plan, starting in the middle of May with physical-distancing measures in place.

He announced it on Wednesday as he laid out plans for the B.C. government to reopen the economy.

It has restaurants in Kamloops feeling more optimistic about the future. The Noble Pig is planning to reopen for takeout under a new name – This Little Piggy Went To Market. It comes after it has been closed for nearly two months due to the pandemic.

“We’re going to be taking some of our signature items from the Noble Pig, and instead of doing a traditional to-go format, we’re actually going to be doing a take-and-bake format,” said Maeghan Summers. “So everything’s going to be parbaked and essentially you can come in, you can pick up four of five meals for the week, you take them home, throw some in the freezer. All of them come with instructions on how to reheat them.”

Starting Tuesday (May 12), people can order online or in person. It will be takeout at first with hopes to open up a portion of the restaurant and the outdoor patio once restrictions are officially lifted.

“We wanted to create a different part to our business and diversify our business plan,” noted Summers. “This allows us to be able to still continue to do a market program where people can come, grab their items and go, but also because we’ve got the space in our building, we can keep our dining room open.”

At Papa G’s Cafe downtown, business has been steady as customers take in special nights like fish and chip night, which is every Wednesday. Owner Gerald Thiessen says the restaurant is positioned well to reopen its dining room.

“My booths are separated by fairly high booths,” said Thiessen, who’s been working solo after laying off his three employees. “We’ll probably use every other booth. Move some of the tables out, so people are at least six feet apart. I’ve always been a clean freak. Our place has been sterilized since day one.”

For the partners of the Noble Pig, opening a restaurant was thought to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience, but Summers feels the same excitement with the little piggy market opening next week. She says a market concept may be here to stay, even beyond the pandemic.

“I think that our market’s shifting. I think we’re not going to have the same type of buying patterns that we had before, and it’s either we adapt and change or I think we’re going to suffer and lose that revenue in different areas.”