One year later...

Our restaurant finally opened it's doors on April 8 2016. It was a frustrating year trying to get things finished. Yukon has long had a fairly lax building code but recently the codes have been updated to match other provinces and in some ways it seems as if the requirements are greater than they need be. However, being a new building everything had to be up to the latest standards so it was daunting at times meeting these requirements. Everyone persevered and finally all of the permits were granted.

Our opening day was crazy. We had many people come out to show support and it was a stressful day as most openings are working out the glitches with the kitchen and the menu but we survived and it all went well.
We have now settled in to a good routine. The front end, which is run by my partner Shannon is doing a great job. We already have a regular loyal following in the area and Shannon has solidified those relationships with her friendly demeanor and personal touch with every customer that comes in. Because we are 20 km outside of Whitehorse we are in a unique position of not only being a highway stop but also the only local restaurant for miles serving a rural population. This makes for a different sort of operation than you would find in the city. The customers are less anonymous and we get to know people on a more personal level. It has helped us find some really great staff. We recently added a new guy to our kitchen staff. He had been coming in to the restaurant as a customer and in getting to know him we found out that he had just moved to Yukon from B.C. and was in need of work. He has joined us and has become valuable as a jack of all trades.

I describe the menu as "truck stop chic" meaning it is the kind of food you would expect from a truck stop but brought up a level. It is all made in house with good quality ingredients. We started with a summer menu with things like an avocado clubhouse, house made onion rings and beer battered halibut chunks to name a few. Now we have changed the menu a bit to reflect the change in the season and added things like a guinness steak pie, balsamic-beer pulled pork with dark cherries over mashed potatoes. We have a fair bit of "British pub style" food like scotch eggs and toad n' the hole.

We are now in our seventh month of business and things are going well. We are building the business and clientele and figuring out different revenue streams based on the needs of the demographic and region in which the restaurant is situated. It is a lot of work and a big commitment but it is worth it knowing that every day that you wake up  you are going to a job where you work for yourself and are creating something that has never existed before. There are no limits to what we can do if we have the imagination and will to move forward.

It's been awhile....

I haven't blogged since March and now it is August and we have a restaurant that is close to being open. There are a lot of hoops to jump through as far as inspections and licensing etc. It can be a daunting experience but if you just plug along eventually it all gets done.
We secured our liquor license which is an involved process requiring a lengthy application then a public notification for 3 consecutive weeks in which people who live in the area can have input. After this then it goes before the liquor board who decide your fate. I have to say that the liquor inspectors are very helpful and generous with their time. They made the application process a breeze and we had no objections from the public so the license was granted. Whew!
Staffing is always an issue in the restaurant business particularly in the kitchen. Cooking is one of those jobs that you have got to love to do it because the hours can be harsh being in the service industry you work when everyone else is off. It is also stressful and it is hard for restaurants to pay above average wages given the tight margins of the business. Having said that we are striving to provide better than average wages so we can attract the best people.
We plan on moving our kitchen equipment in this month and we are looking forward to unpacking all of the dishes etc that we bought.
As for an opening date we do not have one nailed down just yet but we believe we will be open by Halloween.

Serendipity

I have always believed opportunities come your way if you are aware and follow the clues given. Shannon and I had been looking for a business to start for about a year. First we had created a very detailed business plan for opening a restaurant/nightclub. That project got as far as securing a location and getting a major investor. It fell apart for us when we realized that the location might not be what we really wanted. So we walked away from that project and found a new opportunity in a new building in MaCrae. We again progressed fairly far with this project only to have the plug pulled on us. This is where serendipity stepped in.

It was a Tuesday night when we found out our latest project was over. We immediately were discussing new options and new directions and decided to go for a drive to Carcross corner to check out the building that had been under construction there for years. It was a weird night. It was mid October and unusually foggy. We started down the highway and almost turned around because visibility was so low. We arrived at the building and had to keep the vehicle lights on because it was so dark and the fog was so thick. Shannon commented that she could smell fresh saw dust so something was happening. We heard a voice and the owner of the building Mike came out to find out what we were doing. We immediately started a conversation with him, he offered to show us the building. I told him I owned Burnt Toast and we were looking for a new place to open a restaurant. It was a very natural and easy conversation and  literally ten minutes later we had a tentative deal to lease Mike's building. The old adage that when one door closes another opens is so true. Within hours of losing one deal we had a new and better deal. For me it is proof that serendipity is a real thing and we should always pay attention to clues as to what direction our lives should take and also it is proof to me that you should never let set backs actually set you back. Setbacks are just direction changers letting you know that the current path my not be the right one so look for a different way.

The Vision

Starting a restaurant is exciting. We are starting something that hasn't existed before therefore it is a completely blank slate. We were thrilled to find the location. Carcross Corner used to be a hub for people who lived outside of Whitehorse. There was once a restaurant at this corner that served the surrounding rural area but it has been closed for years now. We were lucky enough to meet Mike Brown who is a 60 year old born and bred Yukoner. His family has been in Yukon for generations. His Grandfather is T.C. Richards who has a building in Whitehorse named after him.
Mike's building at Carcross corner has been under construction for 15 years. Mike did it on a shoe string. He did a lot of the interior by scavenging and sourcing wood from around the Yukon. The bar top for example, is a huge single piece of fir that has been refinished and looks amazing.
Mike's father once owned the storied Whitehorse Inn. He now holds the rights to that historic name so he has named his building the Whitehorse Inn. We have named our restaurant The Cutoff Restaurant and Pub at the Whitehorse Inn. The interior of the restaurant is going to be a mix of  Yukon history especially the history of the Alaska Highway that goes by the building. It will also have some modern contemporary touches with the décor and food presentation.
We have been sourcing equipment and furnishings from Calgary and have hired Dinah Gaston to source these things for us. Dinah is soon to be opening a second location of her Calgary store in Whitehorse. Her store is called Mid Century Dweller and her new location is in the building where The Wheelhouse Restaurant is. So the work continues to get this restaurant ready for business this coming summer.

Opening a new restaurant

I decided to start a blog to journal the process of opening a new restaurant. I already own a restaurant in Whitehorse. I have had it for 3 years now and it is quite successful. My life and now business partner Shannon and I are now opening a new restaurant just outside the Whitehorse city limits. Shannon is an RN who has put her nursing career on hold to realize a dream of having a restaurant and pub.
We have secured a location and now are in the process of building the restaurant. This blog will follow the process and pitfalls of this undertaking.