A visit from a Stratford, Ont. singer is giving businesses in Cambridge a bit of a boost to their bottom lines. Justin Bieber and his wife Hailey were spotted strolling the streets last week, but their impact is still being felt. “It was kind of surreal because he walked in like any old customer, any regular customer,” Megan McKinnon, an employee at Chicago Pub Cambridge, said. “We weren’t expecting them because he wasn’t in Cambridge yet – it wasn’t known. It was crazy.” His appearance may have been a surprise, but he made time to say hello to any of his fans in the pub. “He said to my kids, ‘Come, come give me a hug,” Hana Nguyen, Chicago Pub Cambridge’s owner, said. “He was so nice and they were so happy.” He played a bit of pool and then serenaded pub-goers with some karaoke, including songs off his latest album. He shared videos of his performance on his social media accounts. “We didn’t think it’s like promotion or something like that, but just very happy and proud that he came here to enjoy,” Nguyen said. As exciting as the visit was, Nguyen said they did their best to respect his privacy. “We didn’t let anyone know. We didn’t call anyone to keep it private for him. We respect him,” she said. “At the end of the night, I got a few phone calls, but I didn’t say anything until he was leaving. People kept calling me until 2 a.m. Maybe there was a rumour or something like that, but we close at 12 a.m.,” Nguyen said. “It’s been getting busy on the weekend.” But the Cambridge visit didn’t stop there. On Thursday, the Biebers made their way to a local coffee shop, Monigram Coffee Roasters. “They just casually walked in and were like, ‘Hey, is it cool to grab a couple coffees?’” Lex Fortune, Monigram Coffee Roasters manager, recalled. “I was like, ‘Of course! Come on in.’ Justin just got a black iced coffee. Hailey got a shaken espresso.” Staff at Monigram Coffee Roasters said the couple was very laid back, but there was definitely a feeling of excitement in the air. “We could feel it and we were like, ‘Wow!’ But they were very genuine, very warm,” Monica Braun, owner of Monigram Coffee Roasters, said. “I shook their hands and said, ‘Hey, do you mind if I take a photo?’ They were very happy about doing it and were lovely,” Braun said. That photo racked up over 37,000 likes on Instagram. The singer even acknowledged the photo on Tuesday afternoon by sharing it to his Instagram story. “We’re very gentle and considerate about when a celebrity or someone comes in here. We didn’t post anything until the Friday or Saturday. When it happened and we realized that more things were hitting the media. Then, just now, he reposted us, so that was a lovely thing,” Braun smiled. And now, fans are hitting up the coffee shop, eager to get a taste of what drew the Biebers in. “We’ve got a little more traction because of it, which is quite lovely for any business,” Braun said.
