YES, a small neighbourhood 55-year-old diner definitely contributes to making Amherstburg great!
Small neighbourhood diners offer distinct, welcoming, and personal dining experiences that emphasize community connection, and authentic comfort food rather than standardized chain menus. They provide a cosy intimate atmosphere often with friendly, familiar servers that makes patrons feel recognized and valued.
Speck's Restaurant checks all the boxes 
Located at 266 Bathurst, Speck's (named after an owner who wore glasses) was first opened by Irene Sprague in 1971. Since then her daughter Sarah Beaudoin has lead the way. Wednesday through Saturday it opens at the ambitious time of 6AM and stays open through 2PM.
When you enter, the staff always call out a welcome. The restaurant is known for homestyle family-friendly diner food. Sarah’s team has been together for years, and all the staff are very personable and ready to engage a regular or a first-time visitor in a friendly conversation. I asked Sarah what she would recommend for lunch. Her answer? A Dagwood sandwich and homemade fries. YUM!
All the local shops that are featured in What Makes Amherstburg Great have their challenges. For Speck's, it's food costs, maintaining sales in a tougher economy, and increasing competition from corporate stores.
Please drop by Speck's for breakfast or lunch so it sticks around for another fifty years. Hear more about Speck's by turning on CKBG 107.9FM Saturday and Sunday at 8AM.
Amherstburg is a beautiful heritage town. Research gives very high marks to towns having restored heritage buildings. The Marsh Historical Collection is one of the main reasons that our heritage buildings are being celebrated and protected today. Next week, learn about the Marsh Historical Collection and an upcoming Jane’s Walk.
TIA & TOMMY STORY TIME WITH JAKE THE ROAD DAWG
Jake the Road Dawg along with his parents are coming to River Bookshop at 11AM this Sunday. Join us upstairs for this special musical reading event.
Jake the Road Dawg is a book inspired by internationally renowned, award-winning Americana/Country singer-songwriter Tia McGraff and her husband and collaborator/guitarist Tommy Parham’s real life traveling companion Jake!
For a runaway pup searching for his “forever home,” in Nashville, Tennessee, hope is everything! But when Jake is adopted by professional recording and touring country music stars, Tia and Tommy, he not only finds a loving family, but also a dream that is bigger than he ever imagined.
Tia’s children’s book Jake The Road Dawg has helped raise funds and awareness for her local chapter of The Dolly Parton Imagination Library. The book also includes a CD with 3 original songs written by Tia and Tommy—"Two Wolves," "Be Still," and "Crazy Beautiful."
SILENT BOOK CLUB FRIDAY APRIL 17TH AT 6PM
Don't forget, our first Silent Book Club at River Bookshop will be on Friday, April 17th, from 6 to 8PM.
Never heard of Silent Book Club? It's basically introvert happy hour! Silent Book Club is a global community of readers with 2,000 chapters in 60+ countries. There's no assigned reading—it's bring your own book.
More than a million members gather in person, online, and in destinations around the world to read together and swap stories. All readers are welcome! And now, you can participate in Amherstburg at River Bookshop.
6:00-6:30PM - Arrive, shop, share what you're reading
6:30-7:30PM - Quiet reading hour
7:30-8:00PM - Optional socializing, or just keep reading
Join us to do some of your own reading and connect with other readers in the area. We'll have refreshments and a book fair table with discounts for Silent Book Club participants. Hope to see you there! Click here to reserve your spot.
CANADIAN INDEPENDENT BOOKSTORE DAY
CIBD is coming, and it's one of our favourite times of year to celebrate with our customers. This year it's on Saturday, April 25th! We'll be open 10AM-8PM that day to give you more time to shop.
Here are some of the things we have going on this year:
- Free gift with purchase (while supplies last)
- Contest for book lovers, courtesy of CIBA
- Featured display of The Booksellers' List, with 15% off the selection
- Find the Libro.fm Golden Ticket (more below)
- Bookstore Crawl (more below)
GOLDEN TICKET
On Saturday, April 25th, find the Golden Ticket in our store and win 12 free audiobooks from Libro.fm, the audiobook company that shares profits with independent bookshops, like us. There will only be one winner! Can you find it first? 
BOOKSTORE CRAWL
This year, we're excited to announce a bookstore crawl with other local booksellers in Windsor Essex County. Make a purchase at all 6 participating locations over the course of April 24th-26th, and be entered to win an incredible Grand Prize! In addition, everyone who completes the mission will also receive coupon codes to use at select bookstores.
Participating businesses:
- River Bookshop
- Biblioasis Bookshop
- Whiskeyjack Boutique
- Juniper Books
- The Book Nook
- Storytellers Bookstore
PICTURE A RIVER TOWN GALLERY SHOW AT HOTEL STRY
River Bookshop will be onsite at HOTEL STRY this Sunday starting at 2PM for a dramatic performance and reading from Marty Gervais's new book Amherstburg: Picture a River Town.
Join us at Hotel STRY to celebrate Amherstburg through photography and storytelling. Special guests Barry Brodie, Peter Hrastovec, and Elise Gervais will also be joining us. Books will be available for sale, and prints on display for order. Plus, Marty Gervais will be signing books after the performance. This event is FREE. Doors open at 2PM, and performances begin at 2:30PM.
Click here if you'd like to order the book online!
BOOK CLUB MEET UP WITH AUTHOR APPEARANCE
For our Books in the 'Burg meet up for April, we will discuss Marty Gervais's new photography book, Amherstburg: Picture a River Town. PLUS, author Marty Gervais will be joining us for our discussion.The book is available at 15% off to members. Visit us in store or email us to inquire about joining.
The meet up will be on April 28th at 7PM, upstairs in the Hole in the Wall, and offered on Zoom as well. We'll also have snacks for everyone to enjoy at the meet up!
Last Thursday we launched Marty Gervais's Amherstburg: Picture a River Town upstairs in the Hole in the Wall. It was a packed house and a wonderful look into the making of this beautiful new book of photos and essays about Amherstburg. If you missed the book launch, please join us this Sunday at Hotel STRY at 2PM. River Bookshop will be onsite! We hope to see you there.
So much to see and do in Amherstburg!
We hope to see you downtown this weekend.
The River Bookshop Team