By Susan Hollis // Photo by Dean Azim
Beauty, they say, is in the eye of the beholder. So it didn’t occur to Kellan Musseau and Joel Harrison that a dark garage with a massive four-post car lift and pieces of a ‘67 Camaro piled in the corner didn’t scream award-winning restaurant.
Their original goal was to turn the joint into a motorbike-repair-shop-meets-small-café. But the interior of Wheelies — like their business plan — changed to accommodate a full kitchen and a unique dining space with an adjacent workshop and shared window that bridges two oddly compatible businesses.
“It’s filled with the things we love,” says Musseau, Wheelies’ head chef. “I always wanted to ensure we had really nice, good-quality food with everything sourced locally … it just took off way more than we expected for a little place in Rock Bay.”
These days, whether he’s pickling his own locally grown daikon to add to his sandwiches or working on his vintage Harley Davidson Panhead with his dog Winston by his side, Musseau is a self-made guy with a distinctly old-fashioned edge.
What’s your idea of perfect happiness?
Being surrounded by the things I love and being able to do them every day.
What’s your greatest fear?
Failure.
What do you admire most in your friends?
Loyalty and work ethic. I like to surround myself with people who work hard and are passionate.
What trait do you most deplore in others?
Ego. I think in both of these worlds — the food side and the motorcycle side — there can be a lot of ego going on.
Which living person do you most admire?
My dad for his business skills and ability to balance family so well; my sister for being the most hard-working, driven individual I know; and my mom for always being the rock for all of us. I … wouldn’t be where I am today without them!
On what occasion do you lie?
I don’t.
What’s your greatest extravagance?
My rusty old Harley parts. They might not seem extravagant to some, but to me they definitely are.
Who or what is the greatest love of your life?
My partner Avelyn. She’s definitely a rock, and she’s extremely hard-working. She and I are really similar.
Where are you happiest?
In my home shop, working on my bike, with my puppy [Winston] running around.
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
I don’t feel like I need to change anything in myself. There’s plenty of time in the future to do anything
I want to do.
What’s your most treasured possession?
My Panhead (Harley Davidson bike).
What piece of technology do you wish was never invented?
Smart phones. I love them but they drive me crazy.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Definitely Wheelies is at the top of the list for me. It’s something I’m proud of that’s been years in the making, and it’s helped me come a really long way — professionally and in my goals.
If you were a book, which one would you be?
The Cowboy and the Cossack [by Clair Huffaker, about 15 American cowboys who sail into Vladivostock with a herd of 500 cattle]. It’s an obscure Western book.
What piece of technology do you wish existed?
A time machine, but it only needs to go back. It doesn’t need to go forward. That’s a little freaky.
If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, who or what would it be?
Probably a cowboy in the 1800s. I’m a huge Western fan.
This article is from the July/August 2019 issue of YAM.