When Ladysmith’s beloved cafe, In the Beantime, was forced to leave its home of 18 years due to the sale of its building, the community rallied in support. Social media platforms buzzed with encouragement, while customers came in droves, offering help and sharing hopes for the cafe's future. That outpouring of love and loyalty became a driving force for owner/operators and life partners Campbell and Kristy McIntyre as they navigated an uncertain transition.
“It was a bit of a snowball of support,” said Kristy. “People stopped by, called, and messaged us asking how they could help. It was heartwarming to see how much the cafe meant to everyone.”
Thanks to that encouragement and a stroke of good fortune, In the Beantime found its new home with an offer of shared space with Plantitude, Ladysmith’s renowned vegan restaurant. The arrangement allows both businesses to retain their distinct brands and operations while benefiting from shared resources and collaborative opportunities.
The two businesses operate on complementary schedules: In the Beantime provides breakfast and lunch service during the week and weekend mornings, while Plantitude focuses on lunch and dinner service Friday through Sunday. This setup ensures each has time to shine and customers can enjoy the best of both.
While two restaurants sharing a kitchen might seem complicated, especially when one is exclusively plant-based and the other serves animal products, meticulous planning has made it seamless.
“Our cutting boards are colour-coded, and our walk-in coolers and freezers are divided,” explained Cam. “There’s no crossover, and everything is kept fresh and organized.”
The partnership has also opened doors for menu innovation. In the Beantime has expanded its plant-based offerings to appeal to Plantitude’s loyal customer base and Cam and Kristy have even expanded their own ideas about plant-based food through Plantitude’s owner Karen Olenik’s expertise. Now they can look forward to more people enjoying their existing menu of fresh dishes made from scratch as well as Olenik and her team’s offerings.
“We’ve always had vegan options, but now we’re adding more,” said Cam. “We want people to feel welcome, no matter their dietary preferences.”
The cafe now offers several vegan breakfast and lunch dishes with plans to further expand the menu. In the Beantime is incorporating some of Plantitude’s ideas into their menu and the two kitchens are working together to develop some fresh, creative dishes.
The collaboration feels like a natural fit, but the move wasn’t without challenges. The Beantime team had just 60 days to break down their old location and find a new home while ensuring their staff could keep working.
“We needed to make sure that our team was employed,” Kristy said. “We wouldn’t have this business without them. Making sure that was the same was a huge priority for us.”
Their determination to stay in Ladysmith where they’ve built strong ties with the community drove every decision.
“We looked at spaces in Duncan and Nanaimo, but our hearts are here,” said Kristy. “This is where our kids grew up and this is where our café belongs.”
The community’s response reaffirmed that commitment. When the move to Plantitude’s space was announced, excitement spread quickly. Despite the short move timeline, things aligned so well you might think this plan had been years in the making.
Now settled in their new location, In the Beantime and Plantitude are embracing the spirit of collaboration. From shared distributor orders to brainstorming new menu ideas, the partnership shows how two businesses can come together to create something greater than the sum of their parts and serve great, healthy food to the community while they do.
