About Us

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Brian Foster started in restaurants as a young teenager and worked his way up through the ranks of kitchens in Hamilton Ontario where he was born and raised.  In 2001, Brian, with (now wife) Shawna at his side, took a leap of faith to run his first kitchen, moved to Fredericton, New Brunswick and helped open up The Snooty Fox with good friends Krista Monkhouse & Kyle Lennie.  Shawna worked as the General Manager at Snooty and Brian moved on to open and run the kitchen at Cannons Cross pub and Oscars bar & bistro.  After several years in Fredericton, they decided to make the move back to Ontario to be closer to family.  Brian worked his way around various restaurants in southern Ontario including Peller Estates winery and Cucci Ristorante in Oakville, while Shawna left the industry to explore other goals.  But the pull of the East Coast lifestyle lured them back and they returned to Fredericton in 2012, with the intention of opening a place of their own.  

MoCo was created in August 2012 as "MoCo catering & kitchen parties". Chef Brian and Shawna would host kitchen parties in their client's homes making memorable experiences for their guests.  Catering weddings and birthday parties was also part of the growing enterprise. It was a rewarding way to showcase Chef Brian's skills as a chef and to start the momentum towards opening their very own place.

In 2013, that opportunity presented itself at the Mactaquac Lodge, in the heart of the golf course.  Chef Brian created a menu to entice the locals, golfers & foodies alike. Friend and now business partner, Mark Dunbar joined the restaurant working in the dining room to provide a warm, relaxed dining experience.   Comfort pub food on the casual side or upscale dining are available year round.  Great reviews from travelers and locals continue to make MoCo at Mactaquac a success.

Three years later - 2016 - another window of opportunity presented itself - a downtown location.  Always a dream of both Brian and Shawna, they decided to go for it.  With the unconditional love and support from family and friends....  MoCo downtown was born.  The menu offers modern Italian fare with fresh handmade pasta and simple, rustic sauces.  The culinary philosophy focuses on good food is worth it – worth choosing the best ingredients, making food from scratch, worth the time and sacrifice to prepare food in the very best way possible.

So what does MoCo mean, anyway? MoCo is a word derived from the names of Shawna and Brian's two eldest children, MOrgan and COle. It is meant to represent family & friends, to be reminded how essential loved ones are and to appreciate the time spent with them. MoCo strives to be a part of that experience for their guests- to create memorable food experiences to be shared in their warm, inviting atmosphere.   

As a side note to MoCo’s name, Brian and Shawna had a surprise addition to their family in 2014 ... Annabelle.  Not to be left out of a namesake restaurant, the 2020 Covid pivot allowed for a new addition.  Bella MoCo to go - a takeout window was created.  With a patio in the summer, serving up street eats and ice cream treats, Bella MoCo to go has quickly become an essential part of the MoCo dream.