udith and Peter Williams first opened the Broadway Café in January, 1981. It was Judith's project with Pete to help as carpenter and basic all-around handy man. Judith's restaurant experience consisted of a stint as the cake baker for Café Santropol in Montreal, and Pete just liked food. So without formal training but with a lot of bravado, they set about building up their business as a learn-as-you-go endeavor. Pete had the "gift of gab" and liked to tell tourists where to go for fun in the Maritimes, and Judith loved to bake. Together, they had the essentials to get it up and running.

The Café was a success from the beginning. It seemed to fill a need for good, wholesome food as well as a social centre for the neighbourhood. It soon grew from twenty seats at 69 Broad Street to fill the space next door at 73 Broad with 45 seats. Work was started on the back garden, which became a summertime favourite eating area with another twenty seats on the deck. The next step was to move from being a lunch spot to a full-service restaurant with more elaborate meals and a wine list. It was an ambitious and at times daunting project, but Judith and Peter learned on the job, and with the advice of friends, employees and family, came up with a menu that earned the Café a recommendation in the Where To Eat In Canada guide in 1989. Since then, the Café has been recommended in the guide every year.

In their own words...

"We wanted to create a restaurant that would provide exactly the kind of dining experience that we look for as customers. Although we have enjoyed many different kinds of restaurants over the years, here in the Maritimes and also during our many trips out of the country, the ones that stand out, the ones that we return to both in body and in our memories have some specific characteristics. Of course the food must taste good but that's just a start. Presentation is crucial to one's enjoyment of a meal and this means more than just a colourful plate with artistic touches but also the setting in which the food is served. Over the years the places we have loved have always had a special context, from a warm and inviting interior ambiance to great background music to spectacular views to a wonderful waiter. This is what we have strived for at the Broadway. These are the elements that combine to make a dining experience memorable.

"Many of our favourite places have been simple restaurants run by immigrants to Canada in some of the larger cities. From these we have taken both recipes and also the attitude that eating does not have to be a formal affair but more an experience of sharing and celebration. We wanted to offer food that satisfies our guests without the frills that go with expensive "fine" dining. We believe that "hand-made" food is the best. This means that everything that we serve is made right here in the Café from basic ingredients... no soup bases, no outside cake suppliers, no pre-prepared sauces, just the best of what we can buy here in our own area. Above all, we wanted to deliver good value, which to us means good food in a welcoming atmosphere at a fair price."