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Matchbox moves to Centenoka Mall

Customers who call old-time restaurant sa国际传媒榟omesa国际传媒 saddened
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Frances Biggs serves longtime Matchbox customers, Michael Ellis and Ken Tapp, on March 31. - Image credit: Martha Wickett/Salmon Arm Observer.

Itsa国际传媒檚 not snappy, shiny or modern. The green linoleum tiles on the floor look worn, the stencilled ivy on the wallpaper dates itself, and you wonsa国际传媒檛 find any quinoa or kale listed on the menu board adorning the wall above the sink.

But the tall stools that line the counter of the little restaurant inside the Matchbox Smoke & Newsstand have been, over the years, a second home for many people.

That is changing.

The Matchbox on Hudson Avenue is on the move to Centenoka Mall to the former home of Luckysa国际传媒檚, where owner Wes Piggott is continuing to sell lottery tickets, greeting cards, tobacco supplies and e-cigarettes.

Piggott doesnsa国际传媒檛 want to talk publicly about the move, but confirms it should be complete in the next week or so.

While 23-year-old Frances Biggs has been the chef, server and right-hand woman at the Matchbox for the past four years, the history of the store is interwoven with that of her family. Both her mom Donna and her great-aunt Pat worked for Tom Hale, the previous owner, when magazines were in their heyday and e-cigarettes were just a glimmer in an inventorsa国际传媒檚 eye. Her older sister Tiffany worked there too.

sa国际传媒淎 lot of these people have known me since birth,sa国际传媒 Frances said of her customers last week, before taking up her duties in the storesa国际传媒檚 new location. sa国际传媒淢y mom had me when she was working here.sa国际传媒

Every morning before Frances would start work, she would stop by Askewsa国际传媒檚 Foods to pick up the fresh produce shesa国际传媒檇 need for the daysa国际传媒檚 cooking.

She becomes particularly animated when she speaks about the soup.

sa国际传媒淚 make the soups from scratch each day,sa国际传媒 she said, explaining customers have been asking for her recipes since learning the store is moving.

Frances says shesa国际传媒檚 both saddened and excited by the move.

On this Friday, as most Fridays, the soups were clam chowder or tomato.

sa国际传媒淔riday, people order grilled cheese and tomato soup. Itsa国际传媒檚 an old-school combination.sa国际传媒

The Matchbox would see different crowds of people depending on the time of day.

Some old-school, some not.

People from surrounding businesses regularly come for lunch, while the morning crowd is a decidedly different gang. Ken Tapp, who is sitting on his usual stool facing the Keno screen, explains hesa国际传媒檚 been coming to the Matchbox since 1990, more regularly since 1997.

sa国际传媒淚 think Isa国际传媒檝e survived at least four people whosa国际传媒檝e passed away, and theysa国际传媒檝e all been regulars here. Isa国际传媒檝e ended up visiting them at Bastion, or taking them papers at home.sa国际传媒

Frances describes the morning crowd, of which Tapp is a part, as sa国际传媒渞ambunctious.sa国际传媒

Former owner Tom Hale, Tapp recounts, had his own view of the spot where Tapp and friends sit.

sa国际传媒淗e used to say that the total IQ at the table had never exceeded 142 in all the years hesa国际传媒檇 operated the place.sa国际传媒

Michael Ellis sits down next to Tapp. Asked why he comes to the Matchbox, Ellis quips, sa国际传媒淪ex.sa国际传媒 He quickly follows that up with: sa国际传媒淲ell, to look at Frances.sa国际传媒 Then, sa国际传媒淲e come here for the good soup. Especially the soup. And we get regularly abused by the owner, Wes. Sometimes he gets brutal and Frances steps in.sa国际传媒

Frances, meanwhile, holding her hands over her ears by way of demonstration, says she has become very skilled at not listening to what the morning crowd has to say.

Joking aside for the moment, Tapp says a lot of people come to the restaurant at the Matchbox for the ambiance.

sa国际传媒淚tsa国际传媒檚 an old-time prairie restaurant. If someone is looking for me, they will come in at nine osa国际传媒檆lock and be very surprised if Isa国际传媒檓 not here.sa国际传媒

And what will he do now?

sa国际传媒淚sa国际传媒檒l have to go along (to the new location). Isa国际传媒檓 writing a book and staff figure prominently in it,sa国际传媒 he says, glancing with a grin at Frances.

sa国际传媒淥h, that look from Frances will kill a hamster at 30 paces,sa国际传媒 he says. sa国际传媒淭hose are dark looks.sa国际传媒



Martha Wickett

About the Author: Martha Wickett

came to Salmon Arm in May of 2004 to work at the Observer. I was looking for a change from the hustle and bustle of the Lower Mainland, where I had spent more than a decade working in community newspapers.
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