The Coal Shed Willie Restaurant will be the primary food vendor at the Wiarton Willie Festival.
This isn’t sitting well with Vicki Formosa of Vicki’s Kitchen of Lion’s Head who feels the festival touches everyone in and around the Wiarton area.
Formosa was advertising on Facebook that she would be providing food at the festival however the town has informed her that this will not be happening.
Following an e-mail to Bayshore Broadcasting News, we found out from South Bruce Peninsula CAO Rhonda Cook that the Coal Shed Willie Restaurant in Bluewater Park has a lease with the town that gives them exclusive rights for food vending.
Cook points out the operator of the restaurant has allowed other food vendors on site when they representing charitable organizations in a fundraising capacity.
She says other vendors such as Vicki’s Kitchen would be considered direct competition and under the Coal Shed lease with the town, they have right of refusal.
Cook says the lease has been in force for several years with that same type of refusal clause in it.
