Munoz, Brana take over ‘gem of Souris’

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This article was published 21/01/2019 (2735 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The new owners of Woodfire Deli in Souris are putting their own twist on the business.

The couple, who moved from Mexico 10 years ago, have added three Mexican pizzas to the menu and a tortilla soup.

“That has been a hit, people love it,” said Carlos Munoz, who owns the business with his wife, Diana Brana.

They both have experience in the restaurant business. Before re-opening the Woodfire Deli in December, they owned Brandon Hispano on 10th Street in Brandon for three years. It served as an ethnic grocery store and restaurant.

Although it was going well, they decided that they wanted to take on something new, Munoz said.

“We went and saw the business, and we noticed that it’s a gem of Souris,” Munoz said. “It’s a beautiful place, they have a lot of potential and we decided to take this adventure.”

He and his wife both bring a background in business and marketing to the deli.

They kept all their staff, he said, and all the menu items have stayed the same other than the new additions.

During the summer, they plan to increase their hours of operation, he said.

“We’ll have a lot of potential with all the tourists coming to Souris to enjoy the beach, the lake and all that around, so I think that will be a great opportunity for us to expand,” he said.

Right now, they’re open from 10 a.m. until 8 p.m. six days a week, and noon to 8 p.m. on Sunday. When the warmer months come, they’re planning on staying open until 10 p.m. For June and July, they hope to open at 8 a.m., he said, so that they can offer breakfast.

Their days start early. He’s usually at the deli by 9 a.m. or 9:30 a.m., and stays until 7 p.m. or 8 p.m. at night. Lunchtime is the busiest, with the rush starting at 11 a.m. and ending around 2 p.m., he said.

The transition to a new restaurant is easier because they have an excellent staff, he said.

“They’re very hard working people, and they have the passion for what they’re doing, so we’re actually learning from them right now,” he said. “We’re working as a team and we love it. We just enjoy it every day.”

They also offer catering and to host private events. They already have some weddings and socials booked for the summer, he said.

So far, business has been busy for them.

“We have people coming from the States. We have people coming to Winnipeg just to try our pizzas and the caesar salad, which is the signature of the place.”

Although right now Woodfire Deli in Souris is the only one of its kind, they’re hoping to make it into a franchise, and offer a second or third location in the area.

“We’re inviting small communities or entrepreneurs or business people who want to come and have a look at the deli, and then we can talk about the franchise opportunity,” he said.

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