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General Food, Dining and Nightlife News - Printable Version

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RE: General Food, Dining and Nightlife News - neonjoe - 06-15-2018

I have a feeling if you want to see what restaurants are on their death knell just go to Costco and see what restaurant gift cards are available.
Recently casualties are Mothers and Wildfire.


RE: General Food, Dining and Nightlife News - ijmorlan - 06-15-2018

(06-15-2018, 05:19 PM)plam Wrote:
(06-15-2018, 05:07 PM)schooner77 Wrote: Wildfire in Waterloo has closed for good.  THey're calling it a casualty of the LRT, but I have to say, steak houses have had a difficult time in that spot.

I was there once and it was good. But I just don't go out for steak very often. I'm skeptical of the LRT argument.

Steak houses were fine for decades. Or, rather, a steak house was fine for decades. Maybe the latecomers just aren’t as good at running a steak house, or maybe the market for steakhouses is more difficult than it was.


RE: General Food, Dining and Nightlife News - tomh009 - 06-15-2018

(06-15-2018, 08:45 PM)ijmorlan Wrote:
(06-15-2018, 05:19 PM)plam Wrote: I was there once and it was good. But I just don't go out for steak very often. I'm skeptical of the LRT argument.

Steak houses were fine for decades. Or, rather, a steak house was fine for decades. Maybe the latecomers just aren’t as good at running a steak house, or maybe the market for steakhouses is more difficult than it was.

The variety of food -- and even that of fine dining -- is far broader than it was a couple of decades ago. The percentage of people who immediately associate "fine dining" with "steak" is rapidly dropping.


RE: General Food, Dining and Nightlife News - panamaniac - 06-16-2018

Good piece in the Record about Four All Ice Cream.

https://www.therecord.com/news-story/8674531-kitchener-entrepreneur-tastes-success-with-a-sweet-treat/


RE: General Food, Dining and Nightlife News - robdrimmie - 06-18-2018

I went to Wildfire for one of my parents' birthday in January or February. It was supposed to be a bit of a call back to the times we'd go to Ali Baba for important family dinners. It was fine, but not remarkable. For upscale steak, you have to do better than the Charcoal which doesn't seem like it should be too difficult, but for my money no one else in KW comes close for reliability of food and quality of service for a steak house. There's almost certainly confirmation bias at play in that assertion though.

I feel like Wildfire lined themselves up for a Mad Men-inspired lounge/steak/martinis renaissance that never hit Waterloo. Upscale dining in this area are places like Janet Lynn, Bhima's, Nick and Nat's. Charcoal has changed to follow them, steakhouses in the classic sense (dark, u-shaped booths, large piles of cow and one salmon offering, wait staff in formal wear) don't seem to do great around here.

Those three also feature much less floor space than Wildfire. It felt vast and empty, and the prior iteration (I can't remember their name) did the one time I ate there as well.


RE: General Food, Dining and Nightlife News - Rainrider22 - 06-18-2018

(06-18-2018, 01:26 PM)robdrimmie Wrote: I went to Wildfire for one of my parents' birthday in January or February. It was supposed to be a bit of a call back to the times we'd go to Ali Baba for important family dinners. It was fine, but not remarkable. For upscale steak, you have to do better than the Charcoal which doesn't seem like it should be too difficult, but for my money no one else in KW comes close for reliability of food and quality of service for a steak house. There's almost certainly confirmation bias at play in that assertion though.

I feel like Wildfire lined themselves up for a Mad Men-inspired lounge/steak/martinis renaissance that never hit Waterloo. Upscale dining in this area are places like Janet Lynn, Bhima's, Nick and Nat's. Charcoal has changed to follow them, steakhouses in the classic sense (dark, u-shaped booths, large piles of cow and one salmon offering, wait staff in formal wear) don't seem to do great around here.

Those three also feature much less floor space than Wildfire. It felt vast and empty, and the prior iteration (I can't remember their name) did the one time I ate there as well.

It would be hard to argue that The Charcoal hasn't done well....  60 years service and still going strong...


RE: General Food, Dining and Nightlife News - Bob_McBob - 06-22-2018

Jeff Hicks did a total hatchet job on the owner of Cafe Pyrus today. I've never seen so much outrage about a local business on Reddit before.

Manulife cutting 700 jobs, vacating office in downtown Kitchener


Tyzun James Wrote:Wow, I am very surprised by the sensationalism used in even the title of the Article.

I did not say good riddance, . I was asked if the moving of Manulife (not closing of) would impact my business.
My answer was I didn't think it would. Our customer base has increased with the startups and new revitalization of downtown.

This feels like a complete hit job.

This is decisive and offensive in many ways.

If you have been to Pyrus, been involved with Pyrus - this does not represent us or the business at all.

Also, I was not the one who said over 40 manulifers. That was what Jeff Hicks says and he my quote. Which is pretty shady.

I am over 40, many of my customers or over 40.

I apologize for this. It is offensive.

Tyzun James Wrote:I appologize to you and everyone over 40. This article is filled with inherent agesim.

I am over 40, I believe that our customer bases’ average age would be over 40. This is offenisve and decisive in many ways. The reporter framed my quotes around an older work crowd, over 40’s, I did not refer to anyone by this generalization, that was the reporter.

My comments were about how manulife has been our biggest employer in downtown and has directed policy In downtown via agencies like the BIA who cheered for chain development in downtown, parking. The ‘they’ I was speaking to were the BIA, not manulife employees.

I see more availble office space as a positive for small startups and businesses, The downtown revitalization has been fueled by these types of employers, and this could be positive to the fabric of downtown. Not the ‘sky is falling down’ that I felt the reporter was digging at.



RE: General Food, Dining and Nightlife News - jamincan - 06-22-2018

Removing his comments out of the context of the article and into the context that he claims to have said them:

"They [the BIA according to James] are the ones who are happy when we get things like a Starbucks. They were cheering that we have a Subway downtown when they have us and Breadbaron and a number of good quality places."

"Having something like that flip over to more independent offices and more startup space, those are the kind of people that make a vibrant core."

It does seem much less inflammatory than what Hicks wrote.


RE: General Food, Dining and Nightlife News - robdrimmie - 06-22-2018

The sentiment that downtown won't suffer much or for long from Manulife's absence seems accurate to me. The population will be replenished by whatever comes into the building, which (as discussed elsewhere) is prime real estate. It might take a year or two for the population to replenish, but it will.


RE: General Food, Dining and Nightlife News - tomh009 - 06-22-2018

(06-22-2018, 02:57 PM)robdrimmie Wrote: The sentiment that downtown won't suffer much or for long from Manulife's absence seems accurate to me. The population will be replenished by whatever comes into the building, which (as discussed elsewhere) is prime real estate. It might take a year or two for the population to replenish, but it will.

For sure it will be much less of an impact than the original closing of King Centre.

And of course there is the possibility that the buyer of the building will redevelop the land, which is absolute prime property in DTK.


RE: General Food, Dining and Nightlife News - panamaniac - 06-22-2018

What does Manulife's departure represent, around 10% of the DTK workforce? I find the relaxed reaction to what in earlier times would have been devastating news to be very reassuring. The confidence in Downtown's future seems very high.

Re the Jeff Hicks article, I suspect the Record will stand by its report. And that Mr. James will never again speak on the record to the press without recording it.


RE: General Food, Dining and Nightlife News - Bob_McBob - 06-24-2018

Here's the official response to the Record article from the owner of Cafe Pyrus.

https://www.facebook.com/CafePyrus/posts/1954832041228698

Quote:As the owner of Cafe Pyrus, I wanted to post a response to the Article in The Record Concerning Manulife's move.

Originally this article was titled in a way that said I was happy to see Manulife cut 700 jobs. This is completely false. I was approached by the reporter during lunch. I am a vocal advocate for downtown and don’t mind speaking publicly about it. I was asked, if I felt Manulife moving to Waterloo would impact my business, it was very informal and I spoke off the top of my head.

The reporter did not tell me 700 jobs were being lost, the only that Manulife was moving. To insulate I was any happy about job loss is a terrible way to sell newspapers (or online page views) and is completely misleading. The title only remained shortly and was removed by The Record’s Editor. However, by the time it was edited, it had already been reposted online and will remain out there forever. The loss of 700 jobs will have a major impact on those employees and the communities that they are from. I am disgusted that he would use such an inflammatory title insinuating I would take any pleasure in that impact.

The reporter also misquotes me and takes my comments out of context. He generalizes the Manulife workforce ‘as over 40’ and ‘older’ and attributed my comments (which were about displeasure of the BIA’s downtown direction) to a classification that he created. I don’t believe age has any determination in whether a customer will appreciate what we do at Pyrus. I believe our customers span all ages and we appreciate the diversity they bring.

I did say that I see this change as a positive opportunity for downtown. The last couple of years have brought a transformation that has been years in the making for Downtown Kitchener. There is a high demand for space and we are seeing mass residential developments as this new workforce wants to work and live here - participating in the cultural fabric of downtown. My negative comments were pointed at a marketing direction, led by the BIA and influenced by large employers such as Manulife that seems to fully focus on the working experience downtown, missing out on the living experience of Downtown after the workday ends. This frustration was completely quoted out of context and applied to Manulife employees.

DTK offers incredible experiences for people who call downtown home. We have some of the best restaurants in the region, games cafes, bookstores, niche stores, the market, the museum, a world-class library, a vibrant coffee and cafe scene, craft brewers, comedy, live music, social agencies like the Working Centre, art galleries, movie theatres, orchestra, a performance hall, plus an amazing park that hosts incredible events like the Multicultural Festival this weekend, which went unannounced by the BIA.

I would like to see a Strong BIA that focuses on continuing to weave the fabric of the core. Attract people to the core for the unique experience we are, rather then how similar we are to the suburbs and the mall experience.

It will be sad to see Manulife leave the core. We have valued customers from Manulife that have loved and embraced us from day one. I am sorry for the article and the reporter’s assertions and generalizations about you. Not to mention, the insult it must have caused on a day that was already filled with disturbing news.

At Cafe Pyrus everyone is welcome. We strive to provide everyone with great service and high-quality food, while not poisoning the planet or our customers for a profit. We hope that customer base is defined by an appreciation for what we do which spans all demographics. I personally want to thank you for your continued support and helping make Pyrus the great part of this community.



RE: General Food, Dining and Nightlife News - Rainrider22 - 06-24-2018

(06-24-2018, 02:57 PM)Bob_McBob Wrote: Here's the official response to the Record article from the owner of Cafe Pyrus.

https://www.facebook.com/CafePyrus/posts/1954832041228698

Quote:As the owner of Cafe Pyrus, I wanted to post a response to the Article in The Record Concerning Manulife's move.

Originally this article was titled in a way that said I was happy to see Manulife cut 700 jobs. This is completely false. I was approached by the reporter during lunch. I am a vocal advocate for downtown and don’t mind speaking publicly about it. I was asked, if I felt Manulife moving to Waterloo would impact my business, it was very informal and I spoke off the top of my head.

The reporter did not tell me 700 jobs were being lost, the only that Manulife was moving. To insulate I was any happy about job loss is a terrible way to sell newspapers (or online page views) and is completely misleading. The title only remained shortly and was removed by The Record’s Editor. However, by the time it was edited, it had already been reposted online and will remain out there forever. The loss of 700 jobs will have a major impact on those employees and the communities that they are from. I am disgusted that he would use such an inflammatory title insinuating I would take any pleasure in that impact.

The reporter also misquotes me and takes my comments out of context. He generalizes the Manulife workforce ‘as over 40’ and ‘older’ and attributed my comments (which were about displeasure of the BIA’s downtown direction) to a classification that he created. I don’t believe age has any determination in whether a customer will appreciate what we do at Pyrus. I believe our customers span all ages and we appreciate the diversity they bring.

I did say that I see this change as a positive opportunity for downtown. The last couple of years have brought a transformation that has been years in the making for Downtown Kitchener. There is a high demand for space and we are seeing mass residential developments as this new workforce wants to work and live here - participating in the cultural fabric of downtown. My negative comments were pointed at a marketing direction, led by the BIA and influenced by large employers such as Manulife that seems to fully focus on the working experience downtown, missing out on the living experience of Downtown after the workday ends. This frustration was completely quoted out of context and applied to Manulife employees.

DTK offers incredible experiences for people who call downtown home. We have some of the best restaurants in the region, games cafes, bookstores, niche stores, the market, the museum, a world-class library, a vibrant coffee and cafe scene, craft brewers, comedy, live music, social agencies like the Working Centre, art galleries, movie theatres, orchestra, a performance hall, plus an amazing park that hosts incredible events like the Multicultural Festival this weekend, which went unannounced by the BIA.

I would like to see a Strong BIA that focuses on continuing to weave the fabric of the core. Attract people to the core for the unique experience we are, rather then how similar we are to the suburbs and the mall experience.

It will be sad to see Manulife leave the core. We have valued customers from Manulife that have loved and embraced us from day one. I am sorry for the article and the reporter’s assertions and generalizations about you. Not to mention, the insult it must have caused on a day that was already filled with disturbing news.

At Cafe Pyrus everyone is welcome. We strive to provide everyone with great service and high-quality food, while not poisoning the planet or our customers for a profit. We hope that customer base is defined by an appreciation for what we do which spans all demographics. I personally want to thank you for your continued support and helping make Pyrus the great part of this community.

Very classy.  I am well aware how news reporting these days is no longer about unbiased reporting of facts.  I can appreciate his side of the story.  I have never been to his restaurant but \i can assure you I will try it now..


RE: General Food, Dining and Nightlife News - plam - 06-24-2018

I understand that in newspapers, reporters typically don't provide titles for their pieces. They get added by the newspaper staff. So if it's just the headline that the Cafe Pyrus owner is talking about, it's not the reporter's fault.


RE: General Food, Dining and Nightlife News - jamincan - 06-24-2018

It was definitely the content of the article.