People of the OCQ: Amy
When Amy and her partner, Adrian packed up their life in Winnipeg to venture out to Vancouver Island, they wanted to create a business in Nanaimo that fostered community and connection.
“We thought, ‘what could be our best offering for people?’” says Amy Ferris. “We wanted to create this space for ourselves, to leave a legacy and to provide something to our community that wasn't there before.”
Five years since opening White Rabbit Coffee, located at 321 Selby Street, they have done just that.
“In Manitoba, when you sit around a campfire and the smoke chases you, they call that a white rabbit. You're supposed to move around the circle to try and get away from the smoke that's chasing you. It is a metaphor for this idea that's chased us.”
Surprisingly, it wasn’t until after they opened White Rabbit that rabbits started to show up at the property, and now they serve as the mascots of the place. You will often find black and white rabbits lounging in the front yard of the heritage building.
Amy comes from a graphic design and marketing background and Adrian is a jack of all trades, though neither of them have owned a restaurant prior to this venture. The couple had intended to open up a space in downtown Nanaimo, but something kept calling them back to the old train station in the Old City Quarter.
“We felt like it was a space we were going to be able to grow with,” she explains.
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In the five years since opening the café, Amy and Adrian have taken over the entire building. They opened Black Rabbit Restaurant three years ago and are offering special events in the Attic with the intention of having it become an ongoing community space.
“When we took it over, we started collecting furniture and changing the kind of format of how the space is used. We run three to five of public events upstairs a month. Those events are usually focused on either community, comedy or music. For the fall season, we actually hope to open the space to the public, as an ongoing place for people to hang out on rainy nights with a glass of wine or maybe a cup of tea and read the book or watch a movie,” says Amy.
The three spaces, White Rabbit, Black Rabbit and The Attic all offer a different atmosphere for folks. White Rabbit is community-driven with local artwork sprawled across the walls, serving up fresh baked goods and Vancouver Island coffee; Black Rabbit is a more upscale, fine dining experience focused on sustainability and simplicity; and the Attic is a relaxed hub for friends to unwind and support local culture in our community. There is also a gift shop of locally made products beside the bar at Black Rabbit.
The Station, the outdoor patio area, is a place for local events like Sounds of Summer, a free live and local music series that runs throughout July to September every year in the Old City Quarter.
“We wanted something for everyone. We are trying to create spaces that connect with different categories of people so that our offerings can be as inclusive as possible,” says Amy. “One of the things we talk about is come as you are.”
As diverse as the people are in Nanaimo, it’s rare, if not impossible, to find a space inclusive to all, but it seems that Amy and Adrian continue to find new ways of surprising the public with what they’ve been waiting for.
“I feel wholeheartedly that there's a group of people here who want to access stuff like this, but just haven't either found the right place for them or it just hasn't exist,” explains Amy.
Since opening up White Rabbit five years ago, Amy has watched the community of the Old City Quarter grow and flourish as well.
“I think it's due to all of the beautiful businesses that have come up in the Old City Quarter the last five years or so,” she explains. “We've seen this neighborhood go from pretty much dead and derelict to as vibrant as it is right now, and that's really special to be a part of.”