For six weeks, a cafe located between Fatboys’ Pizza and Fubuki Sushi on Althamer Rd. in Invermere has been closed for renovations.

On March 3, however, its doors opened again and invited all to stop in, grab some chalk, and leave their mark in the shop.

This is where the Chalkboard Cafe gets its namesake, as the interior of the cafe has chalkboards along its booth walls and counter that guests are more than welcomed, rather, encouraged to write and draw on.

“It can be difficult for parents to go out for dinner or lunch with their children, because children can get bored,” said Laura Emms, who co-owns Chalkboard Cafe and Fatboys’ Pizza, along with her husband Dan Emms, who bought the cafe in 2007.

The chalkboards help keep children occupied if they’re feeling anxious in their seats.

“Kids want to come back because of the chalkboards,” Emms explained. “That’s kind of what we’re going for.”

The new renovations have brought stained-wood booths and a more open area to the cafe as well.

The cafe also features a television and an arcade game, and Emms hopes that a few more televisions and games are to come.

The cafe has also spruced up its menu, but has kept old favourites to please returning guests.

The menu includes customizable deli sandwiches, pizza, burgers and fries, with soup and sandwiches highly popular among the lunch crowd, and a variety of breakfast items enjoyed by early-birds.

For more information about the Chalkboard Cafe, call 250-342-7374 (the number is shared with Fatboys’ Pizza).