Bliss Kitchen, a popular vegan and gluten-free restaurant in Waterdown, closes today (Sept. 13) after nearly a decade of business.
Broghen Culver-Brush launched the eatery on Dundas Street on Oct. 15, 2015; two local business partners came on board over the next five years. Culver-Brush has a passion for food that traces back to cooking at home and watching cooking television shows as a child, and one of her dreams growing up was to eventually open a restaurant of her own.
Despite the success of Bliss Kitchen, however, Culver-Brush is closing the restaurant to focus on building a family as she is pregnant with her first child.
“It’s bittersweet,” she said. “I’ve described it as telling your kids you’re getting divorced. You feel like you’re letting people down, but you know that you’re doing what’s best for you. So it feels really sad, but I’m about to have my first baby and that’s this other cool, huge, big adventure that I’ve never done before, and so far everyone has been so supportive.”
The support Culver-Brush has received from the Waterdown community after announcing that she would be closing Bliss Kitchen’s doors has been extremely positive, with long-time customers wishing her the best and placing large orders to stock up on the vegan and gluten-free sweets they'll miss.
Local businesses also extended their support to the restaurant owner, offering to let her use their kitchens or share their stalls at the farmers' market to continue preparing and selling her goods.
Culver-Brush said that the thing that she would miss the most about Bliss Kitchen is the people who entered her life through it.
“Above all else, it's the interpersonal relationships,” she said. “I have found and cultivated and acquired some of my best, closest friendships through Bliss. My best friend of nine years, I met her working here. I have another best friend in the kitchen who’s been here six years. The best memories are being here with my loved ones making food.”
Culver-Brush initially tried to sell the business and her brand, though she ran into issues with her landlord, whom she says was uncooperative during the attempted transition. As the sale fell through, the vegan chef decided instead to keep the Bliss Kitchen name and close down the restaurant instead.
Despite the difficulties, Culver-Brush expressed great appreciation to the community that had supported and visited Bliss Kitchen over nearly a decade.
“Thank you for everything,” she said. “What everyone has done over the last nine years that they’ve supported us, is they have supported a young local girl from Waterdown. "The money from these last big orders will go towards the baby’s clothes. The biggest thing I can say is thank you, thank you, thank you. It seems sad, like the ending of the chapter, but I’m trying to view it like a graduation.
"Bliss will always be part of Broghen, and Broghen will always be part of Bliss. One day, if I’m crazy enough, I’ll do it again.”
Culver-Brush plans to accept special orders for custom cakes and other vegan sweets in the future -- after an extended break to enjoy being a mother.
