Craig's Table is one of Quesnel's iconic restaurants and its owners, Craig and Rebecca Sherstan work to support the community and create an inclusive space wherever they can.
Craig has been around restaurants since he was in high school. After graduating he said "university didn't really take" and continued on to work in restaurants and go to culinary school. Rebecca has a background in retail and had never worked in a restaurant before she owned one.
The pair have lived in Quesnel for 20 years. They moved from Kitimat to be closer to Craig's sister and to let their children grow up together.
Their restaurant is a place of inclusivity and they said their staff treats everyone the same regardless of background. It has "Every Child Matters" art on the windows and a pride flag hanging on the outside. That spirit continues when it comes to the food and cross contamination with allergies.
"We have worked really hard to set up our kitchen in such a way that we can be very confident that we're not going to make anybody sick," Craig said. The couple both have Celiac disease meaning they have an intolerance towards gluten. That has made them very conscious of allergies and cross contamination and they have strived to make as much of their menu as flexible as possible to accommodate allergies.
Throughout our interview, customers stopped to greet the Sherstans and they shouted happy birthday to one of their employees across the room.
"It's like a family," said Craig, adding that feels cliche to say but true nonetheless. "I'd like to think that's because of us but also because of the people that we've chosen." He said there was a time the whole restaurant closed because one of the former staff members was getting married and everyone on staff was going to the wedding.
While they work to create a positive space within the restaurant, they also work to help make the community a more inclusive place. Craig serves on the board of the Quesnel Shelter and Support Society and the Quesnel Chamber of Commerce. He said he got involved because he was asked and was happy to have the opportunity to serve the community.
"We've been donating food to the shelter since (2009)," Craig said. Some of the employees at their restaurant who were going to school for social work and ended up working at the shelter society asked Craig if they could donate extra food that would otherwise go to waste. They've been donating ever since. "When we do catering I always, always have lots of food. I don't like to run out of food. So there are always lots of leftovers." Those leftovers end up being donated to the shelter.
The pair also supports the Quesnel Ambassador Leadership Program. They've sponsored six students for the program which teaches youth skills, gets them involved in the community and helps build confidence. In 2023 they sponsored former ambassador Jamie-Lynn Fedoruk who walked into the restaurant during the interview with the Sherstans.
"Over the last few years they've been an amazing support system, they've been a second family to me for years," Fedoruk said. "They're like my second parents. I love them."
They also support inclusivity groups like the Quesnel Pride Society. In past years Rebecca and other staff members have been "donated" to bar tend for Pride events in Quesnel and at the 2024 Pride night, and the Sherstans catered it for free.
"I just told Julia (Dillabough, president of the Pride Society), don't worry about it. I'll just donate it. We can do that, it's what I can do to help," Craig said. The restaurant donates to many other community events and made 250 sandwiches for Quesnel's Billy Barker Days Senior's Day event.
"Often when people ask about helping his first go-to is food, 'what can I give you for food?'" Rebecca said.
"I don't know how to help people other than to feed them. It's just my thing," Craig said.
The reason they love Quesnel is because of the community and the people in it, which is part of why they contribute to it as often as they can.
"(The community) steps up. It's beautiful here," Rebecca said. She remembered the first big high school graduation prom night after the pandemic had massive door prizes for students. She said that spirit of giving and excitement in the community over helping others makes it a great place to live.
"If you walk down Reid street and smile and say 'hi' to people you usually get it back," Craig said. "It's the people, it's that sense of community."
