Offering a fine dining experience of meals made from fresh ingredients and local foods accented by fine wine pairings, Forteau’s Sea View Restaurant serves as a gateway to and from the Big Land and it provides a home-style atmosphere to tourists and locals alike. For owner and multi-entrepreneur Brad Hancock, the Sea View Restaurant complements a suite of services his businesses offer; together, they provide visitors to the region with a complete experience.

“Our goal with the Sea View Restaurant is to offer our customers a unique dining experience not typically found in small rural communities. The food we serve is made from the freshest available ingredients and is locally sourced as much as possible. Our restaurant, combined with our tour company and grocery store, offers visitors an opportunity to see and experience the natural and historic side of southern Labrador. Being an entrepreneur requires the ability to work with everything that is available to you. We are fortunate that in this part of the province, we are rich with culture, beauty and new opportunities to expand and grow.”

-       Brad Hancock, owner, Sea View Restaurant

In 2011, Brad worked with his local Community Business Development Corporation (CBDC) to help with the purchase of the Sea View Restaurant. CBDCs provide a variety of services to help entrepreneurs start and grow their businesses including financial assistance opportunities, business counselling and advice, entrepreneurship development and training, technical assistance and advocacy.

“A successful entrepreneur doesn’t always have to start from scratch to develop a business idea. Owners like Brad Hancock are able to harness the momentum of established businesses and take them to a new level of success. Working with a local CBDC involves more than just gaining access to financing. We offer a number of programs and services that can help new business owners acquire essential skills to run a business or offer help and advice to experienced entrepreneurs who are looking to take their venture to the next level.”

-       Roseanne Leonard, Managing Director, Newfoundland and Labrador Association of CBDCs

During the 2016-17 fiscal year, CBDCs in Newfoundland and Labrador have disbursed more than $20 million to help start, maintain and modernize small businesses throughout the province. Over the past year, this funding has helped leverage an additional $14.5 million in funding from other sources and to create and maintain more than 860 jobs. In Labrador, CBDC provided $500,000 to businesses, resulting in the creation of six new jobs and helping to maintain 20 existing positions.