"I just like to support locals because I know they support me"
With the sun shining and snow beginning to melt, today was the perfect day to venture up town and try a delicious lunch from Relish Gourmet Burgers! This week, I sat down with Miss Kiera Fraser, owner of Je Suis Prest, one of Saint John's trendiest fashion boutiques.
Kiera Fraser coined herself as a regular customer at Relish. She said that she loves the food and enjoys the unique atmosphere of the restaurant. She also loves the convenient location right across the street from her store in Brunswick Square. Today, Kiera relished LA is My Lady with sweet potato fries as a side. This burger is popular among customers and is made up of sliced avocado, roasted peppers, basil pesto and creamy goat's cheese. I tried this week's feature burger called "The Chimmy Chew" - this burger is not your average burger and I would highly recommend it to those who like to add a little spice to their meal. Topped with chimichurri sauce, smoked gouda, and a crispy sweet potato chip, this burger is guaranteed to satisfy your tastebuds. Be sure to act fast though as this featured menu item is only available until February 21st!
Kiera Fraser was raised in upstate New York and at the mere age of 23 has proved to be a very unique local with nothing but success in store for the future. After high school, Kiera attended college and graduated with a Business degree. She expressed that she did not particularly love college, but was able to persevere and graduate in three years. Kiera also took many online fashion courses through Ryerson University in Toronto that have helped her get where she is today. Kiera's expertise in both business and fashion has been a huge contributor to the growing success of Je Suis Prest.
When Kiera first opened Je Suis Prest, she was not sure how well it would be perceived by Saint Johner's. Her motivation to open the store was inspired by the lack of high end fashion within the city. Kiera feels that with a small area like Saint John, it is often difficult to find clothes that are different than everybody else. She also said that classifying the store into one type of style is very difficult as their selection is so diverse. Kiera chooses all of the pieces that she wants in the store, mainly based on her customer’s preference. She ensures that the boutique remains unique by only ordering a limited number of each item. While Kiera initially thought her clientele would be women between the ages of 18-35, Kiera explains that her customers range in all ages .With everything from jeans, dresses and a diverse selection of exclusive accessories, Je Suis Prest is able to offer custom made, designer clothes at a very affordable price.
Kiera's friendly and welcoming personality is another huge asset to the success of her store. She is able to make personal connections with her customers allowing them to feel relaxed, well taken care of, and thus becoming loyal patrons. Infact, during our lunch date, I think Kiera knew just about everyone around! In 2010, Kiera was the winner of the “Young Entrepreneur” title at the Saint John Board of Trade’s Outstanding Business Awards. More recently, Kiera was also named Here magazine’s top 20 under 30 in the category of “Trendsetter”. Kiera’s Facebook page with close to 2000 followers was also nominated for a Salty, Saint John’s Social Media Awards. Kiera feels that social media networks such as Facebook and Twitter are the most effective and affordable ways to communicate with her customers.
It is no secret that Kiera is extremely passionate about her store and genuinely loves what she is doing. She is still very young and has endless opportunities to come. In the future, Kiera hopes to expand her store to other regions or perhaps find another type of fashion void in Saint John to fill. Kiera said that for now, she is just focusing on making Je Suis Prest the best it can be while bringing out the inner fashionistas of Saint John. For more information about Je Suis Prest or to visit the award nominated Facebook page check out Kiera’s website at www.jesuisprestboutique.com .
Upon the completion of our meals, both Kiera and I were able to leave Relish Gourmet Burgers once again feeling satisfied with the great taste and service. Relish seems to step up their game every week and is becoming quite the hit in Saint John. In fact, tripadvisor.com just named Relish, #1 of 136 restaurants in the city. If you have yet to try it make sure you get to 26 Germain Street soon and see what you’ve been missing!
No comments:
Post a Comment