Take two best friends, each with an entrepreneurial spirit, two totally different backgrounds and one shared dream, and what do you get? Van Gali's; a place where people gather over fabulous fresh foods, hand-made from healthy ingredients, in the ambience of a unique heritage property that has been renovated from top to bottom in the character of their friendship. Maybe that is why Van Gali's is not your usual restaurant. In every corner, on every plate, in every precious detail on the menu, this is a place that friendship built. And you can taste it.

Even the name, Van Gali's, is a culmination of the owners themselves. Janette Feniak is the "Van," representing her Dutch heritage (her parents were born in Holland). Gali is for Reina Choudhury-Todd, (her father was born in Bangladesh and her mom in England). Like just about everything else in their relationship, the name Van Gali's came upon them unanimously. It seems no matter what these two friends think about; they always seem to be on the same wave length. It made perfect sense - Van Gali's it was.

They agreed on one other key decision too: location. "We knew our restaurant had to be in Fergus. This is where we're from, where we met. We wanted to be here," says Feniak.

Finding the location for their dream café wasn't quite as easy.  It took them a year and a half to find a place that captured their imagination. When the heritage home at 180 St. Andrew Street East came on the market, with its unique architecture and downtown location, Feniak and Choudhury-Todd knew they'd found the right spot. 

From July 2007 until January 2008, Feniak and Choudhury-Todd rolled up their sleeves and set to work renovating the historic property with a lot of help from special friends and family. The place was gutted right down to the wall frames, to begin all over again.

It was no small task. There were many long days and many more late nights. 

Van Gali's today features a bright, welcoming seating area with tables hand-made by the owners. Every chair was stripped by hand and refinished.  The kitchen and sandwich bar is exactly what they envisioned. Upstairs, two guest rooms were created, accessible by a separate side-entrance. The patio is smoke-free and a sight to behold.  It invites people the opportunity to bask in the warm summer sun and gardens, while enjoying a pint of beer, or refreshing versions of popular summer drinks.  Both inside and out, the café is wheelchair accessible.

"We want this to be a place for everybody," say Choudhury-Todd.  "Your heart and soul goes into it and people feel it when they're here."

It's true. People go to Van Gali's to see Janette and Reina as much as they go there to eat. It is a great spot for people to gather over fresh food with fabulous flavour. It is a place built on the foundation of friendship. It sits on the riverbank in one of Ontario's prettiest towns. Fergus is as much a part of this restaurant, as Van Gali's is a part of the town, and the owners wouldn't have it any other way. This is a place where dreams come true, and they are better when shared with good friends.

To Learn more about the fascinating history behind 180 St. Andrew St. E, check out "If these walls could talk..." by Barbara S.