summerside taco restaurant to operate p.e.i.'s wind and reef this tourist season
3 minute read
kirk heckkner, owner of the taco spot in summerside, was chosen to operate the wind and reef in north cape. tignish initiative corp., which owns the restaurant, has struggled to find tenants for the last few years.
kristin gardiner
/
journal pioneer
north cape, p.e.i. — after a few years spent struggling to find an operator, a north cape restaurant will once again welcome visitors for the 2026 tourist season.
the wind and reef, operated by tignish initiative corp., has been operating for around three decades. for much of that time, it was operated by a single tenant.
when they stepped away in 2019, finding someone to take over proved a struggle. in the time since, it has only been open for the 2021 and 2024 seasons.
wanting to breathe life back into the venue, tignish initiatives decided to get creative. so, in the spring, they advertised a $0 lease incentive for this summer to whoever they selected to operate the restaurant. the idea was that, if all goes well, the new vendor would return for next year as well.
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anne arsenault, general manager and ceo of tignish initiatives, said the incentive generated a lot of interest, and a number of qualified inquiries and proposals.
in the end, kirk heckkner, who runs the taco spot in summerside, was chosen to operate the north cape restaurant this summer.
“we’re happy to see it being open, for sure,” said arsenault. “as i’m sure a lot of people are.”
the wind and reef restaurant in north cape will be open for the 2026 season.
kristin gardiner
/
journal pioneer
traditionally, the wind and reef, located in the north cape wind energy interpretive centre, has been seafood-forward. heckkner plans to stay true to that, but bring his own flair and add some of the taco spot’s most popular items to the mix.
it wasn’t what tignish initiatives had in mind, initially, but they’re pleased to see it all come together, nevertheless. arsenault added she’s excited by what heckkner has in store.
“it just never occurred to us, i guess, to have that type of menu,” she said. “but he’s working with it, and he’s adding seafood, and the biggest item that sold up there was fish and chips. and that’s on the menu.
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“so, i don’t think there’ll be too many people disappointed with his menu, for sure.”
tacos and seafood
three years ago, heckkner opened the taco spot in summerside’s county fair mall. he had no plans to expand, but when he heard that the wind and reef was in need of a tenant, and leasing the space would cost him $0 this summer, figured, why not?
“i saw a need. i saw that they were in need of someone to run it for the summer, to take care of the tourists in the area, some of the locals who come in, and have some good food,” he said.
“i kind of have the attitude of, ‘god hates a coward,’ so to speak. so, when i’m faced with a challenge, i like to step up to the challenge,” said heckkner.
arsenault had been looking for someone to operate it as a full-service restaurant, which heckkner has no experience with. instead, he proposed a counter service-style operation, similar to his present restaurant.
kirk heckkner plans to keep seafood on the menu at the wind and reef, while creating a fusion with the existing menu at the taco spot.
kristin gardiner
/
journal pioneer
if he’s invited back next summer, heckkner would love to take a crack at operating a full-service restaurant.
as of late june, heckkner had had the space for about two weeks.
“it’s all very last-minute,” he said. “i’m doing my best to make this happen as quickly as possible.”
heckkner’s plans for the restaurant involve both a fusion of the mexican food he has experience with and the seafood familiar to the area.
taco salad, tortilla chips and some taco spot favourites on one end, and a lobster roll or fish and chips on the other, with a baja fish taco on the menu tying it all together.
“i’m looking forward to getting started. i want to make this happen as soon as possible, i’m doing my best to make this happen as soon as possible,” said heckkner.
“like i said, i enjoy a challenge. i want to bring the food to the people … i want to bring the seafood into the restaurant that people miss here.”
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kristin gardiner is a reporter for the journal pioneer in prince edward island. she can be reached at kgardiner@postmedia.com.
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