Business Spotlight: Island View Family Restaurant & Bakery

The Island View Family Restaurant & Bakery is an icon along the South Shore. This year the restaurant celebrated 62 years in business. Operating since June 22, 1962, each season’s opening is eagerly anticipated by our community. The current owner, Natalie Corkum, has been running the restaurant for 28 years.

Q1: How many generations have been running the restaurant?

I’m the third generation to run the family restaurant. My grandparents started with a tent at the Bridgewater and Lunenburg Exhibitions simply called Moshers, their last name. I can remember helping at the Exhibitions. They grew a large following and decided to expand into a restaurant. They started with just takeout. My Father helped build the current building.

Q2: Why Western Shore?

Our family is from Western Shore. The land that the restaurant sits on belonged to my grandmother’s family.

Q3: What is your earliest memory of the restaurant?

I came as a little girl to help my grandmother fill ketchup cups. All of the grandchildren helped at the restaurant. The potato spinner in the back building that peeled potatoes was a favorite.

Q4: Do you have a favorite memory/moment since running the restaurant?

When local filmmaker, Ben Proudfoot, mentions our restaurant in the New York Times in 2019 proclaiming that our fish n’ chips were the best he ever had.

Q5: When was the ice cream and bakery added?

We have always served hard ice cream. The soft serve and bakery were added in the late 1980’s, around 1986. We make everything from bread to cookies and cakes – around 20 different items at different times. Everything is homemade. We employ one full-time baker who does it all. In October, we take orders for fruit cakes which I make myself. Around 100-150 each year.

Q6: What is your personal favorite dish?

My personal favorite dish is the breaded fish n’ chips

Q7: What is your best-selling dish?

Clams n’ Chips is our bestseller. We currently go through 280 lbs. of clams weekly.

Q8: How would you describe the atmosphere at the Island View?

Family – it’s like a big family. Everyone is treated like family. We have been around long enough to see people who came when they were kids bringing their kids and grandkids. This year one of our new staff members remembers coming with their grandparents.

Q9: What does the Island View Restaurant mean to the community?

It is an anchor and community space. We are strongly committed to our community in return supporting many local events like the Annual Western Shore & District Fire Department Garden Party, Fisherman’s Memorial Golf Tournament, the OHC Golf Tournament, the Together We Can Community Park Food Truck Rally, as well as two youth curling teams, and hockey teams

Q10: How many people do you employ?

The restaurant currently employs 22 people every year. Our core staff return each season. Our longest serving staff member has been a part of the restaurant for 33 years.

Q11: What is the best thing about running a local restaurant?

The ability to raise my children, put them in activities, and set my schedule around them, the flexibility.

Q12: What is your current biggest challenge?

Staffing is our currently biggest challenge. When we open for the season, we are open 7 days a week. I was always told when you are open, you are open. We need the numbers to make that happen. Some of our long-time staff are working a lot of hours.

Q13: Any recommendations for future/current South Shore restaurant owners?

Don’t give up. This is not an easy industry. Don’t listen to the nay-sayers. Stay in your lane and push through.

Q14: What are your seasonal hours?

We are open seven days a week. April – June our hours are 11am-8pm, July – August 11am-9pm, and September – November 11am-8pm.