In this short interview, a paramedic who moved from Alberta to Greenwood and his partner Karen discuss how they founded the Flight Line Cafe, a small eatery linked to the local Aviation Museum. Karen, unable to find work in her field, decided to start her own business, aiming to provide healthier food options for both the public and the nearby military community. They source coffee from Just Us Roasters and have set up a retail center for customers to purchase coffee to take home. The conversation emphasizes their love for the town and its people, the importance of personal connection—especially remembering customers' names—and their commitment to creating a welcoming, community‑focused space.
I came from Alberta because of my job. Moved from Alberta to here to work as a paramedic, and Karen, Karen just could not find anything that fit her industry, so she decided, well, if she's going to work for, you know, minimum wage, she might as well work for herself.
And we fell in love with the place, fell in love with the people. We chose Greenwood as our home, and I needed to find a job, and there was nothing in my field in this area, so we decided that it was time for me to start my own business, and here we are.
It's connected to the Aviation Museum.
We're open to the public and to the military, and we're here to offer a healthier choice as opposed to just fast food.
I enjoy talking with people, getting to know them, getting to know their likes and dislikes, and finding what they're doing that day.
The people. The people. I've gotten to know quite a number of people, wonderful people, and I'm enjoying that. I don't like the work so much, but you gotta do what you gotta do. Just Us Roasters, coffee roasters, is our supplier for coffee, and we've set up a center, a retail center, so that people could take coffee home with them as well as buy it here and enjoy it here.
I think calling a person by their name is very important to them, and Karen does a great job of that. Unfortunately, I don't— I have a horrible memory, so remembering people's names, I'm doing my best that I can. But yeah, I think people's first names are, you know, it's theirs. It's something that they own, so they like to hear it. And getting to know them and getting to remember, you know, how they take their coffee, for one thing, is kind of kind of a cool thing.
