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Photo courtesy Lefty's Cafe
By Erika Rolling
Community

Bezanson’s Lefty’s Cafe moving on to bigger and better

Oct 7, 2022 | 12:25 PM

After spending almost 12 years in the community of Bezanson; playing host to the community’s hub for socialization and their staple restaurant, Lefty’s Cafe is officially closing its brick and mortar location on October 23, 2022.

The owners and couple Ray and Raelyn Peterson met while both working at the cafe in their younger years; Ray in the kitchen and Raelyn waitressing.

Ray says the decision was not based on financial factors, but instead so Lefty’s can spread its wings and grow.

“Being in Bezanson for 11 years was a great place for us. We had the tourism with people cruising through in the summer on the way to the lake, winter time does slow down but economics had nothing to do with it.”

“Ultimately, we have a young family and we want to move along, hopefully secure a location elsewhere and try and bring it to another community,” he says.

Lefty’s isn’t gone forever after October 23; Ray is still in the kitchen at the Sexsmith Curling Club, runs the kitchens at Riverstone Golf Course in the summer, Lions Productions Centre in Teepee Creek during events, Lefty’s on the Loose food truck, and catering.

He says they had one of their busiest summers ever, running 21 weeks consecutively of just catering.

Being the only place in the community of Bezanson to eat Ray says for their regulars it’s heartbreaking, but they are understanding.

“We call Lefty’s a giant gathering table. I don’t know anywhere else you can go into where you’ll sit down and know pretty much three quarters of the restaurant, and everybody’s pulling their tables together laughing and talking.”

Ray says the best times are when customers will secretly pay other tables bills.

Some of his favourite memories that come to mind while owning the cafe, was the first day they opened seeing old friendly faces from being an employee 15 years before.

He also recalls in the first month of opening his kindergarten teacher came in to eat, and told him how he had not changed much as he was always found playing in the toy kitchen in grade school.

Ray notes it wouldn’t be without the support of the community for their successes in Bezanson, being a stepping stone to bigger and better.

The buildings future is unknown once Lefty’s leaves; “hopefully it’s not too long in-between where Bezanson goes without a cafe. I’m really hoping that someone else gets in there… it’s a huge opportunity,” says Ray.

by Erika Rolling