Snow White Number Two Restaurant rises out of the ashes

By Joan Janzen

DODSLAND -  Maggie Tan and her husband Fred opened Snow White Number Two Restaurant in Dodsland earlier this month. Their previous Snow White Restaurant in Biggar had burned to the ground last September. According to Saskatchewan RCMP, Biggar RCMP charged a woman with arson and failing to comply with a probation order.

Maggie Tan and her husband Fred have opened Snow White Number 2 Restaurant at Dodsland. Their 32-year-old Snow White Restaurant in Biggar was destroyed by an arson fire last September. PHOTO BY JOAN JANZEN

“I was shocked and depressed,” Maggie recalled. She was confused and couldn’t understand why this tragedy had happened to her. After being in business in the community of Biggar for 32 years, “the future was unknown,” she said.

Fortunately, it wasn’t long before the prospects for Maggie and Fred’s future became brighter. “Some people from Dodsland told me there is a restaurant for rent coming up in April 2025,” she said. “It was my destiny!”

The building has always been a restaurant and is owned by the Village of Dodsland, which was happy to lease it to Maggie and Fred. The couple considered Dodsland the perfect location for their new restaurant.

“I am a small-town girl. I love the country, the open fields, the sky, and the farmers,” she said. They moved into their new space in Dodsland on March 18th and began cleaning, painting, and decorating, preparing for their opening day. Since opening, Maggie and Fred have been very busy every day.

“It’s because I’m new, everyone is coming to taste our food,” Maggie reasoned. People in Dodsland feel fortunate to have a restaurant in their village and are very supportive.

“Lots of people from Biggar have come here to support me. My old friends come back to support me; it lifts me up,” Maggie said.

How did Maggie manage to rise up out of the ashes and start over with a smile on her face? “When I lost everything in the restaurant, it was very hard. In order to survive, I had to let go of everything and become more easygoing. My attitude has changed after the fire; now, I take life one day at a time, and I’ve become more relaxed. I just enjoy what I have for today,” Maggie concluded.

Maggie and Fred are grateful for every day they get to serve delicious food to the Dodsland community at their Snow White Number 2 Restaurant.