General Food, Dining and Nightlife News

[Rainrider22]

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

https://www.facebook.com/CafePyrus/posts...2041228698

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..