Lorelle Halderman cuts the ribbon at the grand opening of Baba Cluck on Saturday. (Tiffany Goodwein/ CHATNewsToday)

By Tiffany Goodwein

Restaurant marks grand opening following months of delays

Jun 20, 2020 | 6:11 PM

REDCLIFF, AB- The ribbon was cut with an echoing of cheers and applause at the grand opening of Baba Cluck in Redcliff.

For owners Dave and Lorelle Halderman it was a long time coming, with dreams of opening up a restaurant for many years.

Baba Cluck opened their doors in the middle of March, but they were quickly met with a slew of restrictions due to COVID-19.

” You just have to put your head down and keep going. I mean our forecast and revenue stream is nowhere what we anticipated because of everything but we have just fantastic staff that has been very flexible in getting through it, ” Lorelle Halderman said.

Still, despite the limitations, the restaurant, known for its’ comfort eats has managed to garner repeat customers as far away as Brooks, Bow Island and Ralston.

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But Halderman says a large portion, approximately 70 per cent of their business comes from Medicine Hat.

” The economic impact of new business in small towns can’t be underestimated because someone will either come here to eat , and then they are here so they might as well get gas, then they will go down to the hardware–like the impact of that needs to be recognized. I’d love to see the Town of Redcliff encourage more new business development,” Halderman said.

The community of Redcliff, including the town’s mayor showed up for the grand opening to show their support. A proper grand opening event, is something Halderman said she is grateful for.

” Finally we felt at a comfort level where we could do that and do it properly you know with Tim and Greg Herman playing the music and all of our friends able to attend we wouldn’t have done it without that because our friends and family are such an integral part of who we are,” said Halderman.

Family is so integral that Baba Cluck’s origin of inspiration came from Halderman’s family, with ‘Baba’ meaning grandmother in Ukrainian.

“I grew up in Saskatchewan, both Dave and I did. I come from a Ukrainian family that is very strong ethics with that in traditions and all of our recipes here from my Baba’s hundred year old recipes or my own and 92 per cent of everything we make is in house,” she said.