Graham and Lisa Hafermehl, owners of the Onoway café The Table, have spent more than two decades immersing themselves in the culinary industry refining their skills through hands-on experience. Graham worked globally, at Michelin-starred restaurant Marcus Belgravia in the UK, and locally, at Duchess Bake Shop where his expertise in baking flourished. Lisa spent years managing restaurants, and joined Graham as co-runner of The Duchess’s short-lived brunch establishment Café Linnea back in 2017. Their time there, working together on the business side of the culinary world, encouraged them to start their own endeavour.
They founded The Table in October 2021. Open for breakfast, lunch and coffee from Monday to Saturday, the cafe serves coffee, craft drinks, hearty sandwiches and freshly baked pastries. Graham and Lisa oversee the production side of every product offered, working alongside Graham’s brother Brandon and his wife Noël. The pastries, for instance, are carefully curated by Graham and Brandon, while their coffee comes from a close partnership with Candid, a local coffee shop. Even their sandwiches have a personal touch — born out of inside jokes. Graham let us in on one of them, saying “our chicken shawarma sandwich is called the Avenger because of the end credit scene of The Avengers.”
The space itself has a relaxed feel, with an abstract pastel mural on one wall and a fiberwood counter in the corner of the space. An adjacent warehouse room features shelves of local gifts, a few cushioned chairs and their statement piece, a long wooden table that inspired the name of the shop and its most innovative concept: private fine dining.
On Friday and Saturday evenings, the cafe transforms into a private, reservation-only restaurant for a party of two to eight people. Guests enjoy a five-course meal from their seasonal, locally sourced menu. The dishes are fun and beautifully plated, including things like their specialty beef tartare, made of hand diced AAA Alberta beef in creme fraiche, seasoned with mustard seed, horseradish, pickled onion, crispy capers and dill oil.
The concept was born of Lisa and Graham’s desire to provide a higher end option for guests, in addition to their cafe offerings. “This is the clients’ experience, their table, their room, they can dress how they like, bring their kids, invite a few of their friends,” Lisa says. She wants to give her guests the opportunity to experience fine cuisine in a comfortable private atmosphere.
The couple are proud of the community that has grown around their business. They celebrate the cafe’s birthday each year by gathering all their staff together and closing their street to set up their one-day Birthday Market. They move their goods outdoors, and local vendors feature their own products, all while live music plays.
“We want to be people’s third space,” Lisa says. She believes in the importance of having a place away from home and work and hopes people will feel that whenever they visit The Table.
The Table
4918 51 St, Onoway, AB | thetableonoway.com
