Restaurants

Alpina Restaurant at Villa Eyrie Resort on the Malahat was rated among the best brunch spots in Greater Victoria and even Canada, based on reviews submitted to reservation service OpenTable. (Photo courtesy of OpenTable)

Vancouver Island brunch spots voted among Canada’s best

Four area restaurants earn high marks from OpenTable users, make top 100 list

 

Kymon and Oura Giakoumakis visit the PQB News/VI Daily studios. (Peter McCully photo)

PODCAST: Vancouver Island restaurateurs expect big summer rebound for the industry

PQBeat: Oura and Kymon Giakoumaki talk lessons learned from the pandemic, family life and more

 

Atlas’s seafood chowder is one of the star’s of the episode. Photo supplied

Vancouver Island restaurant featured on Big Food Bucket List

Food Network show’s episode filmed at the Atlas Cafe in Courtenay airs this month

 

Darioush Diba, owner of Bubby’s Restaurant, stands outside its Menzies Street location. He questions the need for the level of traffic restrictions into James Bay as are being exercised by VicPD. (Kiernan Green/News Staff)

Eateries less busy, staff late since checkpoints installed for Victoria protests

Operators have mixed views on need for Victoria police controls on neighbourhood entry

Darioush Diba, owner of Bubby’s Restaurant, stands outside its Menzies Street location. He questions the need for the level of traffic restrictions into James Bay as are being exercised by VicPD. (Kiernan Green/News Staff)
Food delivery company drivers wait to pick up food at a Cactus Club Cafe restaurant in a very quiet downtown Vancouver, on Sunday, April 5, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Founders of Earls, Joey Restaurants acquire ownership of Cactus Club Cafe

The Fuller family were early investors in the Cactus Club chain

Food delivery company drivers wait to pick up food at a Cactus Club Cafe restaurant in a very quiet downtown Vancouver, on Sunday, April 5, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
Late 2021 saw the number of restaurant reservations and take-out orders in B.C. soar like there’d never been a pandemic. (Black Press Media file photo)

British Columbians were back to restaurants in pre-pandemic numbers in late 2021

Survey finds Labour Day weekend busier than 2019, giving operators optimism for 2022

Late 2021 saw the number of restaurant reservations and take-out orders in B.C. soar like there’d never been a pandemic. (Black Press Media file photo)
A food delivery person wears a protective face mask to prevent the spread of COVID-19 as they do a pick up in Yaletown in Vancouver, Thursday, December 3, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward

B.C. extends 15% cap on restaurant delivery fees for another year

Dining inside restaurants has gone down during the pandemic, while delivery services have surged

A food delivery person wears a protective face mask to prevent the spread of COVID-19 as they do a pick up in Yaletown in Vancouver, Thursday, December 3, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward
A notice posted on the door to Rolly’s Restaurant in Hope. The owner of the restaurant remains defiant, saying she won’t check for vaccine passports. (Eric J. Welsh/ Chilliwack Progress)

Owner of Hope’s Rolly’s Restaurant remains defiant after having business licence suspended

She said she’s done everything required by health officials up to now, but vax passports go too far

A notice posted on the door to Rolly’s Restaurant in Hope. The owner of the restaurant remains defiant, saying she won’t check for vaccine passports. (Eric J. Welsh/ Chilliwack Progress)
Victoria food service businesses such as John’s Place restaurant are still seeing patrons wearing masks, despite the lifting of mandatory mask restrictions in B.C. as part of the phase three reopening plan. (Facebook/John’s Place)

Customers still masking up at many B.C. businesses as provincial mask mandate eases

Phase three reopening plan saw change to mask rules, state of emergency declaration July 1

Victoria food service businesses such as John’s Place restaurant are still seeing patrons wearing masks, despite the lifting of mandatory mask restrictions in B.C. as part of the phase three reopening plan. (Facebook/John’s Place)
Blair Lebsack, owner of RGE RD restaurant, poses for a portrait in the dining room, in Edmonton, Friday, June 18, 2021. Canadian restaurants are having to find ways to deal with the rising cost of food. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson

Canadian restaurateurs grapple with rising food costs, menu prices expected to rise

Restaurants are a low margin industry, so there’s not a lot of room to work in additional costs

Blair Lebsack, owner of RGE RD restaurant, poses for a portrait in the dining room, in Edmonton, Friday, June 18, 2021. Canadian restaurants are having to find ways to deal with the rising cost of food. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson
B.C. restaurants are slated to reopen to indoor dining for the first time in nearly a month Tuesday, May 25. (Unsplash)

B.C. restaurants gearing up to welcome patrons indoors Tuesday

‘Restrictions end at midnight Monday so service Tuesday will be wide open,’ says B.C. Restaurant and Foodservices president

B.C. restaurants are slated to reopen to indoor dining for the first time in nearly a month Tuesday, May 25. (Unsplash)
(corduroy.kitsilano/Facebook)

‘Selfish, arrogant’: Industry association blasts B.C. restaurants defying public health orders

At least two Vancouver restaurants tried to stay open

(corduroy.kitsilano/Facebook)
Chairs and bar stools are stored at a pizza restaurant in Montreal, on Wednesday, September 30, 2020. As restaurants across the country fight to survive, industry watchers say there is growing frustration over a lack of data that conclusively links restaurants to COVID-19 infections. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson

Frustration grows amid restaurateurs over lack of data linking industry to COVID-19

B.C. is one of few jurisdictions allowing indoor dining in second wave

Chairs and bar stools are stored at a pizza restaurant in Montreal, on Wednesday, September 30, 2020. As restaurants across the country fight to survive, industry watchers say there is growing frustration over a lack of data that conclusively links restaurants to COVID-19 infections. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson
The Anonymous YVR is an Instagram page that reviews restaurants and other establishments around B.C. based on how well they adhere to COVID-19 rules. (Instagram)

Anonymous Instagram page reviews COVID-19 safety measures at B.C. businesses

There are a number of public health orders various types of establishments must follow to slow virus’s spread

The Anonymous YVR is an Instagram page that reviews restaurants and other establishments around B.C. based on how well they adhere to COVID-19 rules. (Instagram)
West Kelowna’s Kelly/Carlos O’Bryans. (Kelly O’Bryan’s West Kelowna Facebook photo)

‘We don’t make the rules’: Okanagan pub owner says staff harassed over pandemic precautions

‘If you have six people plus a baby, guess what? That’s seven’ - West Kelowna Kelly O’Bryan’s owner

West Kelowna’s Kelly/Carlos O’Bryans. (Kelly O’Bryan’s West Kelowna Facebook photo)
FILE – Mr. Mikes in Langford, B.C. (Black Press Media file)

‘Just being stupid’: B.C. premier slams abusive customers at Greater Victoria restaurant

Restaurant said rude customers reduced its hosts to tears

FILE – Mr. Mikes in Langford, B.C. (Black Press Media file)
People sit in outdoor booths, built on top of street parking spots outside a restaurant as people walk on a road closed to car traffic in the Byward Market in Ottawa, on Sunday, July 12, 2020. As restaurants start to welcome customers back with the easing of COVID-19 restrictions, one thing Canadians may soon have to get used to is providing their personal information before they grab a bite. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang

Leave your deets when dining: Restaurants taking personal info to trace COVID-19

Health officials say indoor dining presents a higher risk

People sit in outdoor booths, built on top of street parking spots outside a restaurant as people walk on a road closed to car traffic in the Byward Market in Ottawa, on Sunday, July 12, 2020. As restaurants start to welcome customers back with the easing of COVID-19 restrictions, one thing Canadians may soon have to get used to is providing their personal information before they grab a bite. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang
The aftermath of a violent incident at Mittz Kitchen on July 4, when a customer pushed owner Steve Mitton over a table and smashed a plate of food on the floor over being asked to follow COVID-19 safety protocols. (Kamloops This Week)

Kamloops business owners say ‘rude, unruly’ customers need to start following COVID rules

Some incidents have even turned violent, restaurant owners say

  • Jul 27, 2020
The aftermath of a violent incident at Mittz Kitchen on July 4, when a customer pushed owner Steve Mitton over a table and smashed a plate of food on the floor over being asked to follow COVID-19 safety protocols. (Kamloops This Week)
Corbin Bartley walks away with his curbside pick-up takeout order from Mr. Mikes in Williams Lake on Tuesday, May 19. Restaurants in B.C. will be permitted to offer dine-in as long as they implement COVID-19 precautions. (Monica Lamb-Yorski photo - Williams Lake Tribune)

Pandemic-related restaurant closures take an emotional and financial toll

Many have been left with large debt, little savings and an uncertain future

Corbin Bartley walks away with his curbside pick-up takeout order from Mr. Mikes in Williams Lake on Tuesday, May 19. Restaurants in B.C. will be permitted to offer dine-in as long as they implement COVID-19 precautions. (Monica Lamb-Yorski photo - Williams Lake Tribune)
Chameleon Cafe, located in Maple Ridge, B.C., has a permanent street-side patio. (Ashley Wadhwani/Black Press Media)

COVID-19: Province streamlines patio applications for B.C. restaurants, wineries, pubs

The goal is to get more businesses operating with patio spaces sooner, amid government’s reopening plan

Chameleon Cafe, located in Maple Ridge, B.C., has a permanent street-side patio. (Ashley Wadhwani/Black Press Media)