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Airport’s new Circuit Cafe business taking off

Ease of access is important to most restaurants, with Circuit Cafe no exception.
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Circuit Cafe owner Darcie Phillips in her cafe at the Red Deer Regional Airport. The grand opening for the cafe will be Saturday June 26.

Ease of access is important to most restaurants, with Circuit Cafe no exception.

Instead of driving, however, many of the Springbrook eatery’s patrons taxi airplanes up to the entrance.

Located in Hangar A at the Red Deer Regional Airport, the restaurant is about as close to the aviation action as you can get. And pilots are taking advantage.

“Recreational flyers that fly in, they can just walk across the airport and come in our side door,” said Darcie Phillips, who owns the business with her husband Paul.

“A lot fly from all over Alberta — even B.C.

“They fly in, come for coffee, come for pie, lunch, what have you, and then take off and fly again.”

The premises used to operate as Tipitina’s, with the Phillips taking over on April 1 and reopening under the new name ­— which is derived from the term that describes an airfield traffic pattern — 10 days later.

The couple also decorated the interior with maps, and airplane photos and models, and rearranged it so patrons have a clear view of the adjacent airfield.

“You can sit there and see the planes land and take off,” said Darcie.

To attract more air travellers, they extended operations to include Saturdays, when recreational flyers are most active.

“Twenty, 30 planes could come in on a Saturday.”

Darcie anticipates that this clientele will grow, and she’s pleased with the support of people who work for businesses at the airport.

But Circuit Cafe has yet to attract a lot of traffic from nearby Springbrook.

“I would say that 95 per cent of the community does not even know that the restaurant-coffee shop is here,” she said.

Darcie has lived in Springbrook since 2002, with Paul’s connection to the community dating back 14 years.

Circuit Cafe serves items like sandwiches, salads, chili, soup and baked goods, with a hot meal available daily at lunch.

Hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays.

A grand opening is planned for June 26, when a draw for a plane ride will be held.

hrichards@www.reddeeradvocate.com