Prior Issue (Archive)
The Red Rooster
Palette Pleasers

New Brunswick is especially beautiful in the fall and a drive to St. Stephen is a lovely way to spend an afternoon. The old route takes you along the Bay of Fundy coast which meanders along the shore and through small fishing villages or you can drive on Route 1 and be there in an hour. Whichever way you go, be sure to stop at The Red Rooster, a convenience store, a gas station, a restaurant and a museum all in one. Located just on the outskirts of St. Stephen, about 4.5 kilometers from the border, they are open seven days a week and their hours are 6 a.m. - 11 p.m.

Doug Bartlett and his wife, Pauline, started to build the company 14 years ago. They began with a convenience store and a gas bar then expanded by adding a restaurant, followed by a bakery and a sub counter. Doug says, “We just kept adding things to the store. I am a licensed baker and a licensed chef so the idea was if we had a bakery and a restaurant that would help the convenience store a bit. When we built the place our youngest girl just started school and the plan then was to work until she got done school and she finished this year - time went by really quick and we are still here.”

The store is decorated with early artifacts and building material with paintings which are replicas of the exteriors of buildings and signs from the Charlotte County area. Many of the items tell part of the story of Doug Bartlett’s childhood. Toys and lunch boxes from his family are on display around the large rooms.

Although 90% of their business is local, they get a lot of traffic from Nova Scotia, Saint John and Fredericton. “Along with the local people, we cater to people who are going through with their kids to hockey games, basketballs games or whatever,” Doug explains. “We are good neighbours and sponsor just about anything that is going in the area”.

Along with the full service restaurant, they sell sub sandwiches and have a quick takeout. They have just recently added a healthy food section where they sell sandwiches, apples and oranges and juices and similar items. They make and sell their own bread, cookies, sweets and homemade pies.

Doug describes the Red Rooster as “a kind of a landmark. People know it is here and now they stop by just to see it. It is a quick trip from Saint John and we get a lot of people down here on the weekend especially in the fall because of the beautiful scenery.”

top