OBSERVER BUSINESS |
Couple is singing a song by the river at newly renovated hall
» Former Riverside Maples banquet hall gets a facelift and new name, RiverSong
BY: VANESSA MOSS
A 30-year dream has come true for a Kitchener couple that just finished renovating the Riverside Maples banquet hall, now called RiverSong, on Hawkesville Road in St. Jacobs.
John and Susan Pries have pooled their interests and talents to get the business off the ground, a venture they have been planning since they were married.
It has been many years, Susan said with a laugh.
Susan has always had an interest in the food business, so she will manage the catering while John maintains the over five acres of wildlife surrounding the property.
“It’s a win-win situation,” he said.
The couple’s son, Josh, will also be lending a hand; he inherited his mother’s penchant for cooking.
“I started really early. I would go with her out to Hidden Acres to cook on weekends and stuff like that.”
After purchasing the property in September, the Pries left their home in Kitchener, moved into the upper level of 632 Hawkesville Rd. and set to work renovating the “tired” space.
While the building’s rose-painted façade and stone pillars have not been touched, the inside has been given a fresh look. New roofs, ceilings, geothermal heating and air-conditioning, water-treatment system and kitchen were just a few changes made to “spruce things up.”
Susan’s creativity led to colour changes – wild rice with blue trim – and new windows aimed at brightening up the somewhat dark space.
In six months the family has transformed the hall into a “homey and comfortable” venue for weddings, retreats, seminars, family gatherings and any other events the community needs, John said.
“Part of our idea about the place is to make it an extension of peoples’ homes,” Susan said.
Stepping out of the hall through patio doors, the setting becomes even more serene as birds chirp from the numerous feeders and the river flows by.
The Pries want to maintain the previous owner’s creative landscaping – rock gardens, cobblestone paths and painted pots – but like the rest of the property, alter it to their liking.
“We’ll work to make the outside ours as well,” Susan said, overlooking the river lined with Canada Geese.
“It’s a lot of work, but it’s fun,” Josh said of the renovation process.
“The hours aren’t terrible like a restaurant.”
For now, John is still working fulltime as a principal environmental technician and Susan is balancing the hall with other catering and singing engagements with Lifted Voices, a group she has been part of for almost 20 years.
As such, they are booking groups of less than 50 people into RiverSong so that Susan and Josh can handle the cooking and decorating. But, in the future, they might consider expanding since the hall can seat about 120.
Susan wants to make simple, but special food in a mainly buffet style, using real plates if possible to put less of a strain on the environment.
Over the years her cooking has garnered rave reviews, John said, especially the more unique dishes that allow her originality to shine through.
“She’s an artist,” John said.
“I like to play with food,” added Susan, noting that she enjoys making homemade soups, salads and bread, which she then embellishes for presentation.
Currently, RiverSong has about 15 bookings and recently held an open house. The feedback from visitors was positive, giving the Pries some encouragement.
“Our hopes are that we can provide a facility for folks in the area here to make good use of,” John said.