Cabin 12 restaurant, hit hard by the recession and the HST, has found a unique way to bring their customers back — take their Canadian Tire money as payment.
“We thought why not accept Canadian Tire money, everyone’s got it and can’t use it for much,” said Dan Del Villano, who operates the eatery at 3111 Cedar Hill Rd. “The most anyone has brought in at one time was $28. So far we’ve had hundreds and hundreds come in, most in five- or 10-cent denominations.”
And while Canadian Tire bucks may be cluttering people’s wallets or utility drawers in their homes, the money is put to good use by the Cabin 12 crew.
“We use it all the time,” said Del Villano, who buys micro-fibre cloths, batteries and other items at Canadian Tire to be used at the restaurant. “It’s all stuff we would be buying anyway,” said Del Villano.
Although the HST is now gone, the option to pay with Canadian Tire money remains. “It’s now part of who we are,” said Del Villano. — Times Colonist
