REGINA — If you’re going to run a business there are two rules: Make sure you do what you love, and, you do it with people you really enjoy.

Four women — Beata Thompson, Allison Sweet, Tania Fraser and Gerda Klyne — are doing just that. Together the foursome is building a mini quick-service empire with restaurants, cafés and concession stands in Regina and Lumsden. Over the past decade, they have opened Fresh & Sweet (2500 Victoria Ave), the Brickhouse Bistro in Lumsden and Valley Girls Catering. Plus they operate the food and beverage operations at Sherwood Forest Golf and Country Club, the Tartan Curling Club, and Currie Field. With energy to spare, they are currently putting the finishing touches on yet another addition: Fresh on Hamilton (1914 Hamilton), which will open in just a few short weeks.

Their niche is the quick service market, where they cook up mostly scratch-made fare with fresh ingredients, ready to go … and fast.

“We wanted our concept to be quick but fresh. The whole quick service thing is our niche,” says Thompson. “We want people to get homemade food really quickly. That’s what it’s all about.”

Drop into their popular café on Victoria Avenue, Fresh & Sweet, and you’ll get a taste of what they are talking about. They opened in October 2009 in the former Café de Ville space.

They kept the lunchtime theme but added new items, a bigger breakfast menu, a weekend brunch, some unique espresso-based coffees, whimsical cupcakes, and funky gourmet caramel apples.

But with today’s consumer who is both highly demanding and living life in the fast lane, is it possible to make food fresh and fast?

“Making fresh food fast is not rocket science. It’s in the preparation,” says Thompson. “We won’t bend our ideology. The whole bagged pre-chopped vegetable thing? We don’t do it at all.”

In addition to a strong emphasis on fresh, creativity also ranks high. They encourage their staff to aim for the sky when coming up with the next big menu item.

“The red velvet pancakes are from one of our staff. If they want to branch out and try something, we give them the tools to do it and see how it goes.”

Try the gelato. They have some pretty crazy, in-house concocted variations using the real deal. For example, the birthday cake variety is made from their frosted cupcakes, which are stirred right into the vanilla base. One spoonful and you’ll be singing happy birthday. The cinnamon bun gelato is made with real cinnamon buns and icing!

The café opens with breakfast and serves up the usual suspects plus some wild and gilded lily options. How about a bacon and peach pancake panini ($8.50) PB & Stuff ($8), which is a grilled cranberry orange focaccia with crunchy peanut butter, pecans, craisins and honey? Now that’s a mouthful!

Lunch is very popular with the office crowd. Their offerings include a variety of paninis, sandwiches, wraps, salads and homemade soups. A popular panini is the salty grilled cheese ($9.59) made with a black olive pesto and cheddar, mozza and feta and served on a ciabatta. They also have a sweet version ($9.59) made with honey, grapes and Emmenthaler cheese. Try the peachy bacon sandwich ($9.79) and the lemon tarragon tuna melt ($9.29). The strawberry goat cheese salad ($8.50) is fabulous topped with slices of fresh strawberries, crumbled goat cheese, sugared almonds and a balsamic garlic dressing.