My name is Christa Bruneau-Guenther proud owner of Feast Café Bistro; a neighbourhood cafe located in Winnipeg’s historic West End. Feast Café Bistro offers breakfast, lunch, dinner and catering, serving modern dishes rooted in traditional Indigenous foods.

I pride myself on serving seasonal, fresh and local ingredients with unique dishes like Manitoba Bison Burgers, the famous Pow Wow Taco, Pickerel Sliders, Blueberry Bison Ribs, Salads with Wild Rice, Seeds & Berries, Roasted Butternut Squash, Bannock Pizza, fresh baked goods, bannocks, desserts, and more!

I’ve spent over 15 years refining my cooking skills and expanding my knowledge of our Indigenous foods. My creativity and passion also stems from gardening, teaching, owning and operating a licensed daycare for 9 years and, of course, cooking for friends and family.

Discovering there are only a handful of restaurants across the country focusing on First Nation foods and culture, I took a leap of faith and Feast Café Bistro was born in 2015.

I found First Peoples Economic Growth Fund (FPEGF) on the internet and was pleased to discover the many resources offered to First Nation entrepreneurs. I spoke with FPEGF staff and they were very excited to hear about my business idea which was very encouraging.

This began the application process. I received the business plan support which was very helpful to take my business to the level it needed for success.

FPEGF staff were both positive but very realistic, they asked me tough questions that needed to be asked to understand the hard work it was going to take to open a restaurant.

The support and dedication all the staff at FPEGF provided is a definite result of my success. I am grateful and blessed that they believed in my abilities and business.

My staff mean the world to me, my priority is to hire Indigenous peoples, who currently comprise 80% of all the staff at Feast Café Bistro. I want all our customers to feel the spirit of our culture through the food, seasons and enjoy the abundance that our land has to offer.

Feast Café Bistro has become a pillar in the community through local initiatives, business tours, the arts, training and mentorship for student practicum needs, just to name a few. I feel a responsibility to inspire and empower people in the areas of business, education, Indigenous food sovereignty, and to restore pride in culture.

Having received extensive local, provincial and national press coverage Feast Café Bistro has been welcomed with rave reviews.

I look forward to a continued relationship with FPEGF as Feast Café Bistro continues to grow and evolve.