Peter Smit: Peter, hailing all the way from Amsterdam, landed in Canada in 1981. Prior to building his nest here in the Port city, Peter travelled, lived and worked - well - just about everywhere! Upon leaving Amsterdam, he ventured to Spain, moved onto France, Sweden and back to Holland, where he joined Hilton International travelling the world and closing out his Hilton career as director of food and beverage at the Drake Hotel in Chicago. In 1987 he returned back to Saint John to explore a new career in teaching: an instructor at the Hospitality and Tourism Program at the New Brunswick Community College in St.Andrews. In 2004, itchy feet got the better of him and he decided to leave teaching and become a full time entrepreneur. The result? Combining a life long passion for wine, great service and with the help of friends and superb local crafts people happinez was born!
Sue Furlong: Sue is a girl from the valley who is no stranger to the cultural hot spots in Saint John. Her favourite cultural getaway is her newest place of employment at Happinez Wine Bar. She graduated from NBCC-St. Andrews with a degree in Hospitality and Tourism Management. After graduation Sue followed her artistic passions to Fredericton where she earned a certificate in Visual Arts from NBCC-CD with a focus on fine art photography. Her personal experience in visual art continues to grow as she spends free time engaging in a variety of art practices from painting to sketching to exploring her surroundings creatively behind the lens. Currently, Sue is furthering her education at UNBSJ working towards her BED. She is thrilled to be the newest member of the Happinez team and is looking forward to surrounding herself with genuine and creative people.
Kathryn Russell Kathryn, originally from Quispamsis, returned to the Port City after spending 5 years in Halifax, NS studying Psychology and Philosophy. After receiving her BA Honours Degree from Saint Mary’s University, she began working for the University of Toronto, in Saint John, on a large scale research project focused on the genetics of schizophrenia. Her passion for working with people who live with mental illnesses and addictions extends into her free time, where she volunteers for AIDS Saint John and acts as the President of the Saint John Chapter of the Schizophrenia Society. She also spends a great deal of time experimenting in the kitchen with new recipes which she loves sharing with her friends and family, along with a good bottle of wine! She enjoys the people who visit happinez and learning more about wine from the happinez team and our fabulous customers...
People who helped make happinez what it is today: Judith Mackin Chris Lloyd Jessica Johnston Alexandra Vihvelin Danika Smit Eric Savoie Danielle Johnston Lauchlan Ough John MacLean
