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***
EPISODE DESCRIPTION
Episode 108: Matt and Taylor are joined by Casey Greabeiel. Casey, an experienced restaurant entrepreneur from Calgary, Alberta, owns multiple restaurants in Kelowna including Salt & Brick (of which he also owns a location in Calgary), Diner Deluxe, and is a Co-Founder of Pretty Not Bad (PNB). In addition, Casey is the VP of Operations for GRETA, an arcade bar with locations in Edmonton, Calgary, Vancouver, Toronto, and soon to be Winnipeg.
Casey is here to discuss:
→ His history in the restaurant industry, how he ended up owning multiple restaurants in Kelowna, and where Casey is opening his next restaurant.
→ What key factors make it difficult to run a restaurant in Kelowna, and why the Meet Me on Bernard program keeps shrinking.
→ The unique impact of short-term rental legislation on Kelowna businesses, and if Kelowna has lost the trust of the business community.
Casey Greabeiel's LinkedIn: @CaseyGreabeiel
Casey Greabeiel's Instagram: @caseygreabeiel
Salt & Brick (Kelowna) Instagram: @saltandbrick_
Pretty Not Bad Instagram: @prettynotbadylw
Diner Deluxe Instagram: @dinerdeluxeylw
Salt & Brick (Calgary) Instagram: @saltandbrickyyc
GRETA Website: www.gretabar.com
***
OUR SPONSOR
The Kelowna Real Estate Podcast is brought to you by Century 21 Assurance Realty, the gold standard in real estate. To learn more, visit: www.c21kelowna.ca
***
CONNECT WITH THE SHOW
Kelowna Real Estate Podcast: @kelownarealestate
Kelowna Real Estate Podcast YouTube: @KelownaRealEstatePodcast
Kelowna Real Estate Podcast Instagram: @kelownarealestatepodcast
***
CONNECT WITH MATT
Matt Glen's Website: www.mattglen.ca
Matt Glen's Email: matt.glen@century21.ca
Matt Glen's Instagram: @mattglenrealestate
***
CONNECT WITH TAYLOR
Taylor Atkinson's Website: www.venturemortgages.com
Taylor Atkinson's Email: taylor@venturemortgages.com
Taylor Atkinson's Instagram: @VentureMortgages
***
00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:01,060
Welcome back to the Colonial Real
Estate Podcast.
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00:00:01,060 --> 00:00:02,540
I'm your news broker host, Taylor
Atkinson.
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And I am your real estate agent
host, Matt Glant.
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That griff I hear in the back
there, Taylor?
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Yeah, yeah.
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Dogs barking, deliveries are
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happening, you know.
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How are you doing, buddy?
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That's a sign of a booming economy
if I ever heard one.
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Yeah, yeah.
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E -commerce.
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Well, hey, funny you mentioned
booming economy.
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So today's guest, Casey Grebel,
super interesting guy.
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So restaurant entrepreneur running
Salt and Brick, Diner Deluxe,
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pretty not bad.
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Jax.
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Jax.
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And then.
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all over other places, Canada as
well.
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But yeah.
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Yeah.
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Unfortunately, if you haven't
heard already, Salt and Brick is
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closing his doors still open for
special events.
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Yeah.
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Open for special events.
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I was thinking we should get the
hockey team in there for a party.
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Yeah.
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Maybe first to win if we can win a
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game.
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That would that would justify a
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celebration.
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We got to win.
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Open the doors.
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Yeah.
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God, we don't want to make them
wait that long.
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But yeah, so we just kind of dove
into it on like how businesses
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what's going on with tourism
airbnb legislation that came up
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you know a few years ago how
that's impacted his business like
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we obviously on the show hear a
lot from people that own real
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estate that have condos that got
kind of around with uh the rules
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right with their short -term
rental rules and like to hear it
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from a restaurateur who has a few
restaurants like here in the
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episode like he's got a 20 years
of experience with like i don't
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even know how many restaurants he
has we obviously on the show hear
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a lot from people that own real
estate that have condos that got
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kind of around with uh the rules
right with their short -term
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rental rules and like to hear it
from a restaurateur who has a few
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restaurants like here in the
episode like he's got a 20 years
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of experience with like i don't
even know how many restaurants he
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has Dozens, right?
At least dozen in different
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markets.
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So for him to share his experience
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was like very eye opening about
what has happened in Kelowna with
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the short term rental ban and
other factors as well that he puts
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up, but like a lot to do with the
short term rental situation.
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Yeah.
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And I think you hear the odd
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business owner in Kelowna
commenting on this stuff.
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and maybe they don't want to fight
or like are super transparent with
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numbers.
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But for a guy that has like on
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quite a large scale, like four
restaurants in Kelowna that are
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very successful in great
locations, you know, for him to be
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able to share that is obviously
like there's a lot of evidence
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that, yeah, short term rental has
impacted negatively for those
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owners.
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I mean, and he doesn't put all the
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blame on that.
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You know, there's fires and covid
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and a bunch of other reasons but
for him to be looking at say diner
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deluxe and saying well yeah we're
down by 30 percent because short
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-term rental legislation that's
tough and to me like to lose a
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great operating restaurant hurts
you know obviously in a space
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that's built for a restaurant
likely the next restaurant is
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going to come and fill that void
and you know that's just the cycle
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of it to me the real loss is like
you're losing these awesome
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entrepreneurs that have been
invested here for years and you
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know for a guy like that to you
know be raising a family here too
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and then to feel kind of like
pushed out and to go back to
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alberto a little bit more is is
pretty sad you know like that's
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the loss like restaurants like try
to make waste and not boom in the
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summer so they're basically
creating restaurants that are for
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the locals rather than for the
tourists restaurants like try to
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make waste and not boom in the
summer so they're basically
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creating restaurants that are for
the locals rather than for the
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tourists It changes the vibe as
Kelowna being like a tourist
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destination in the summer, which
could affect longer term for like
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once the economy does bounce back,
it looks shorter rentals to
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straighten out and stuff like
that.
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Slow the recovery because of the
mindset shift with the business
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owners in town.
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Yeah.
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I mean, it's a hard thing to
comment on because like selfishly
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we like having, you know, our city
to be a little bit more locally
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run and having less, you know,
traffic, but on the same sense,
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like.
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having that tourism boom is fun
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once in a while it creates events
and vibrancy and economic
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stability like that injection to
cash in the summer so to have like
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that perfect blend between the two
is is hard to do but when you're
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getting a form of intervention
that limits that owner operator
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entrepreneur on their own vision
is brutal you know it's so sad to
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see so anyways he's still
operating some very successful
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restaurants here that are doing
awesome It's just that Salt Brick
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specifically just wasn't working
out the way they needed it to.
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And then with the short term
rental ban, are then with the
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short term rental ban, like the
city of Kelowna, I've been hearing
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more and more.
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We should have Ryan Smith on again
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to talk about this because I think
he's recommending that they bring
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back short term rentals to the
city.
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But the problem with this is that
it's not really.
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up to the city if our vacancy rate
lowers again to under two or under
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three or whatever it is whatever
it's supposed to be like i think
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the choices just get taken off the
table to have because they're
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talking about applying to the
province to have an exemption for
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a certain amount of buildings
whether it's the same ones that
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were before or not it obviously we
don't know exactly what he's going
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to recommend but if he even does
that that only applies if it's
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over the Vacancy rate.
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So we have a lot of rental
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buildings coming up right now.
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I don't foresee the vacancy rate
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going down in the next two years
or like in the short term
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timeframe, but like for a
restaurant or a business to open
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up, they kind of got to look
longer term than that.
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And if you just have no idea
what's going to happen in three,
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four years, like how do you build
a business when you just don't
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know what's going to go down?
Totally.
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Yeah.
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We really need the vacancy.
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yeah to be above that three
percent but then they also need to
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lobby at parliament for exclusion
on you know saying hey these
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specific property addresses these
buildings that are purposely built
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for you know a resort style
community short -term rentals yeah
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like whatever happens the vacancy
should not matter you know like we
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need some commitment no exactly
provincially can't just change
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every few years that's crazy how
is anyone supposed to plan
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anything like that it feels like
we've obviously talked about this
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a ton on the show but when
something happens we just pull all
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the levers try and fix it and then
it goes the other way now you
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almost don't want it to pull all
the levers the other way like for
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the love of god just let things
work out a bit right let him
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prevent him and just just change
every few years that's crazy how
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is anyone supposed to plan
anything like that it feels like
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we've obviously talked about this
a ton on the show but when
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something happens we just pull all
the levers try and fix it and then
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it goes the other way now you
almost don't want it to pull all
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the levers the other way like for
the love of god just let things
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work out a bit right let him
prevent him and just follow the
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market kind of where it's at it's
a tough one to do you know it's
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not just up to the city and i feel
like the city kind of got behind
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themselves a bit when they took
the legislation that the province
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passed and then added more on top
right so they've made it more
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cumbersome than that even the
province said and now they're
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going back the other way to try
and claw that back to less than
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what the province says right so
kind of like it almost erodes the
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credibility they have with the
province with this yeah oh totally
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and like you know city of west
colonna and penticton have both
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been pushing back against it
pretty aggressively now they're
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allowed to obviously with vacancy
rates where they are but um we
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need colonna to jump on board a
bit more and touch base with the
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local entrepreneurs like casey as
well you know like these are guys
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that they should be hearing their
voice a little bit more so I think
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where his restaurants are like
we're talking like right on the
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water like two locations right
down Bernard right in the most
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prime locations we have Clement
and Ellis we have pretty not bad
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and then we have right across the
street from gyro like very high
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profile locations all of his
restaurants and think where his
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restaurants are like we're talking
like right on the water like two
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locations right down Bernard right
in the most prime locations we
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have Clement and Ellis we have
pretty not bad and then we have
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right across the street from gyro
like very high profile locations
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all of his restaurants and For him
to say that he's starting like
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this is like just saying a lot.
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You know, like you have an
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experienced owner with resources
in the high profile locations that
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still is having a tough time.
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It's just like, it should be an
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eye opener for everybody.
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Yeah, absolutely.
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Well, I think we should just dive
into the show because I agree.
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Pretty interesting guy.
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And outside this, yeah, go to one
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of the restaurant and bars and
have a drink, have some dinner and
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support him.
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You know, he's a local restaurant
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here.
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Yeah, absolutely.
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This episode, like every episode,
sponsored by Century 21 Insurance
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00:06:40,860 --> 00:06:41,060
Realty.
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We're growing.
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We're going everywhere.
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We're growing geographically and
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growing our agent base.
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Things are looking good around
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here.
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So if you're an agent looking for
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00:06:49,630 --> 00:06:52,190
a new brokerage to hang your hat
at and put up some signs with the
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00:06:52,190 --> 00:06:53,670
broker's name on it, give us a
shout.
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Or if you're a buyer, a seller, or
someone looking for a property
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manager, reach out.
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We've got someone to help you
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here.
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So enjoy the show, you guys.
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All right, Casey Grable.
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How are you doing, man?
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Crazy weekend and it was a weekend
of bricks and stuff going on
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outside of that.
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it was a weekend of bricks and
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stuff going on outside of that.
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I was sick of a little boy at home
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today.
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So, you know, that.
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I know, going with the flow.
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00:07:21,010 --> 00:07:23,910
Well, maybe you can give us a bit
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00:07:23,910 --> 00:07:26,950
of a rundown on your background,
who you are, what you're doing.
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For sure.
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00:07:27,410 --> 00:07:27,470
Yeah.
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00:07:27,470 --> 00:07:30,050
I mean, I started coming to Quono
a lot in, geez, 2006.
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00:07:30,050 --> 00:07:31,610
Then started looking at business
opportunities over time.
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00:07:31,610 --> 00:07:33,170
Took over 10 years to pull the
trigger.
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00:07:33,530 --> 00:07:35,250
Got connected with someone through
a mutual friend that really wanted
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00:07:35,250 --> 00:07:37,130
to do a restaurant project with
me.
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00:07:37,130 --> 00:07:39,190
So we did salt and brick.
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00:07:39,190 --> 00:07:40,530
We bought the original, which was
227
00:07:40,530 --> 00:07:41,030
the salted brick.
228
00:07:41,030 --> 00:07:46,050
We didn't tweak the name much.
229
00:07:46,310 --> 00:07:51,250
We did a big reno, but it was
salted brick.
230
00:07:51,250 --> 00:07:51,250
And one of the main reasons we
bought it is that a really great
231
00:07:51,250 --> 00:07:56,610
culinary reputation and we really
wanted to own kind of a quaint
232
00:07:56,610 --> 00:07:56,790
little.
233
00:07:56,930 --> 00:07:57,490
restaurant project, then tweak it
234
00:07:57,490 --> 00:08:00,430
to some of the things that I'd
seen.
235
00:08:00,430 --> 00:08:02,090
I live in Calgary and I've lived
in Calgary since 2006, 2007, I
236
00:08:02,090 --> 00:08:02,210
guess.
237
00:08:02,210 --> 00:08:03,310
So I've seen obviously a lot of
238
00:08:03,310 --> 00:08:07,400
concepts come through Calgary and
some of which I hadn't seen come
239
00:08:07,560 --> 00:08:07,720
to Kelowna.
240
00:08:07,840 --> 00:08:09,300
So at that point, we really wanted
241
00:08:09,300 --> 00:08:15,320
to focus on the local wine and
then, you know, share plates,
242
00:08:15,540 --> 00:08:16,280
small plates, dining.
243
00:08:16,280 --> 00:08:18,100
And then quickly we ended up doing
244
00:08:18,100 --> 00:08:21,620
Jack's, which was Beccaro before
us, which was three doors down on
245
00:08:21,620 --> 00:08:22,340
Bernard as well.
246
00:08:22,340 --> 00:08:23,540
Turn that into a cocktail bar.
247
00:08:23,540 --> 00:08:24,700
Initially, it was cocktails and
pizza.
248
00:08:24,700 --> 00:08:26,640
Treat the format over the years.
249
00:08:26,820 --> 00:08:28,000
Then right before COVID, we signed
250
00:08:28,060 --> 00:08:29,480
a deal to do Diner Deluxe across
from Cairo Beach.
251
00:08:29,480 --> 00:08:30,640
So we have Diner Deluxe there.
252
00:08:30,640 --> 00:08:31,460
That was a very interesting
253
00:08:31,460 --> 00:08:33,539
experiment, opening right in the
heart of COVID.
254
00:08:33,539 --> 00:08:34,820
You know, we opened in that June.
255
00:08:34,820 --> 00:08:37,690
COVID had been on for like three
256
00:08:37,690 --> 00:08:37,870
months.
257
00:08:37,870 --> 00:08:38,809
So very unique experience.
258
00:08:38,809 --> 00:08:40,570
Obviously, Kelowna experienced a
lot of uniqueness in the COVID
259
00:08:40,570 --> 00:08:40,750
times.
260
00:08:40,750 --> 00:08:43,530
Probably the most tourism we've
261
00:08:43,549 --> 00:08:46,770
seen, I would actually say, which
is a little bit backwards.
262
00:08:46,770 --> 00:08:47,870
But did that project.
263
00:08:47,870 --> 00:08:48,910
And then, yeah, just two years
264
00:08:48,910 --> 00:08:52,770
ago, a little over two years ago,
got a call that, you know, the guy
265
00:08:52,770 --> 00:08:53,150
who had.
266
00:08:53,150 --> 00:08:54,490
a bad tattoo in Kelowna, was
267
00:08:54,490 --> 00:08:57,230
looking to get out of the Kelowna
location.
268
00:08:57,230 --> 00:09:01,030
We had no plan for it, no ideas
for it or anything, but we were
269
00:09:01,030 --> 00:09:02,880
like, this is a cool space.
270
00:09:02,880 --> 00:09:05,100
And the previous owner put a lot
271
00:09:05,100 --> 00:09:06,740
of money into the infrastructure,
especially the kitchen.
272
00:09:06,740 --> 00:09:09,980
So we were like, okay, let's come
up with something.
273
00:09:09,980 --> 00:09:14,360
And I had this name in the back of
my head for a while called Pretty
274
00:09:14,360 --> 00:09:17,400
Not Bad that one of my now
partners in that venture.
275
00:09:17,400 --> 00:09:19,760
And so we were like, you know,
does Kelowna need another sports
276
00:09:20,040 --> 00:09:21,280
bar?
Does Kelowna have a sports bar?
277
00:09:21,280 --> 00:09:25,140
If we call it unconventional
sports bar, does it work?
278
00:09:25,140 --> 00:09:26,800
So that was our fourth project.
279
00:09:26,800 --> 00:09:28,640
As I mentioned, this last Sunday
280
00:09:28,640 --> 00:09:30,760
was our last day of service at
Salt and Brick.
281
00:09:30,760 --> 00:09:32,600
It's just, you know,
unfortunately, just has not
282
00:09:32,820 --> 00:09:34,500
performed the way we previously
performed, especially over the
283
00:09:34,500 --> 00:09:35,400
summers, the last two summers.
284
00:09:35,520 --> 00:09:36,700
In the summers previously, we
285
00:09:36,700 --> 00:09:39,860
would have done almost twice as
good sales as we did this last two
286
00:09:39,860 --> 00:09:40,000
summers.
287
00:09:40,000 --> 00:09:41,580
Lots of factors, I think, at play,
288
00:09:41,580 --> 00:09:44,100
and definitely not all of them out
of my control or out of our team's
289
00:09:44,180 --> 00:09:46,260
control, but a lot of them, I
think, for sure were.
290
00:09:46,260 --> 00:09:48,080
So, yeah, kind of in an
interesting middle ground.
291
00:09:48,080 --> 00:09:50,120
We had sold Jack's almost two
years ago, so right now we just
292
00:09:50,260 --> 00:09:52,400
are going to have the two projects
going forward with Pretty Not Bad
293
00:09:52,400 --> 00:09:53,080
and Diner Lux.
294
00:09:53,080 --> 00:09:54,200
Wow, that's incredible, man.
295
00:09:54,200 --> 00:09:57,960
Well, I'm happy to say I've been
to all of those venues, and I,
296
00:09:58,160 --> 00:09:58,180
yeah.
297
00:09:58,180 --> 00:10:00,100
Yeah, I think anybody can go on a
298
00:10:00,100 --> 00:10:01,820
hat, anybody can go on a hat, so.
299
00:10:01,820 --> 00:10:03,460
Is your first restaurant that you
300
00:10:03,460 --> 00:10:06,460
opened then with Salt Lake Brick?
Well, my first restaurant I opened
301
00:10:06,460 --> 00:10:07,360
was in 2004 in Edmonton.
302
00:10:07,360 --> 00:10:08,000
Long, long, long ago.
303
00:10:08,000 --> 00:10:10,420
I don't think we wanted to go back
that far.
304
00:10:10,420 --> 00:10:14,340
I know my eyes date myself a
little bit, but...
305
00:10:14,340 --> 00:10:17,360
My very first restaurant I opened
was in 2004 in Edmonton called
306
00:10:17,360 --> 00:10:17,760
Sapphire.
307
00:10:17,760 --> 00:10:19,140
Learned a lot of lessons there.
308
00:10:19,140 --> 00:10:22,290
And then, yeah, took a hiatus from
the restaurant industry for a
309
00:10:22,290 --> 00:10:22,650
while.
310
00:10:22,650 --> 00:10:24,170
And then jumped back into it with
311
00:10:24,170 --> 00:10:26,970
the other job that I have, being I
oversee a brand called Greta Bar.
312
00:10:27,030 --> 00:10:28,150
So we have Greta Bars all across
the country.
313
00:10:28,150 --> 00:10:30,470
We just opened in Toronto last
year.
314
00:10:30,470 --> 00:10:32,890
And that brand is a partner brand
with Hudson's Pubs.
315
00:10:32,890 --> 00:10:35,330
And don't have any Hudson's Pubs
in BC, but at one point we had 11
316
00:10:35,330 --> 00:10:36,790
locations, 10 in Alberta, one in
Saskatoon.
317
00:10:36,790 --> 00:10:37,670
They currently have six.
318
00:10:37,670 --> 00:10:39,590
I'm not super actively involved on
319
00:10:39,670 --> 00:10:41,070
that brand, but we are, you know,
closely associated.
320
00:10:41,070 --> 00:10:42,410
So I oversee the four Gretas.
321
00:10:43,280 --> 00:10:44,380
And then that same group is
322
00:10:44,380 --> 00:10:44,380
actually who did Salt and Brick
Calgary.
323
00:10:44,380 --> 00:10:46,640
So the Calgary location is a
completely different, you know,
324
00:10:46,640 --> 00:10:48,280
partnership group other than
myself, than the Colona location.
325
00:10:48,400 --> 00:10:52,100
What I loved about the Colona was
that it was 952 square feet or
326
00:10:52,100 --> 00:10:54,240
whatever the math is on that and
how much my culinary team could do
327
00:10:54,240 --> 00:10:55,460
with so little resources.
328
00:10:55,460 --> 00:10:57,640
basically an oven and some
329
00:10:57,640 --> 00:11:00,480
induction burners, and those guys
put out world -class food every
330
00:11:00,480 --> 00:11:01,640
day for eight years.
331
00:11:01,640 --> 00:11:02,940
Whereas the Calgary one was like,
332
00:11:03,040 --> 00:11:05,320
they got all the bells and
whistles in the Calgary one.
333
00:11:05,320 --> 00:11:07,600
They got the full -out kitchen,
anything our chef really asked
334
00:11:07,600 --> 00:11:08,420
for, he got.
335
00:11:08,420 --> 00:11:10,100
It's a beautiful space, has a
336
00:11:10,100 --> 00:11:11,220
speakeasy in the back.
337
00:11:11,220 --> 00:11:12,320
So yeah, I mean, I've been all
338
00:11:12,320 --> 00:11:15,000
over the map in the hospitality
world over the years, right?
339
00:11:15,000 --> 00:11:17,960
Why does everybody land somewhere?
It was about a girl.
340
00:11:17,960 --> 00:11:20,540
Is that ultimately not why
everyone ends up somewhere, I
341
00:11:20,540 --> 00:11:21,360
feel?
The backstory, which we'll keep
342
00:11:21,360 --> 00:11:25,850
very brief, my partner back then
had a little boy who lived in
343
00:11:25,850 --> 00:11:27,590
Kelowna and wasn't able to move.
344
00:11:27,590 --> 00:11:30,570
And so it was like if I wanted to
345
00:11:30,570 --> 00:11:34,810
start a life with her and her son,
it would have been having to be in
346
00:11:34,810 --> 00:11:34,910
Kelowna.
347
00:11:34,910 --> 00:11:37,150
So I looked around for jobs for a
348
00:11:37,150 --> 00:11:39,610
very short time and realized what
I did in Alberta.
349
00:11:39,810 --> 00:11:42,790
didn't really exist in a city a
smallest border and i didn't want
350
00:11:42,790 --> 00:11:46,770
to travel a ton so i was like all
right like let's start make clean
351
00:11:46,770 --> 00:11:50,690
clone a home i actually gave my
notice to my business partner in
352
00:11:50,690 --> 00:11:53,890
the greta hudson's world twice two
years in a row i gave him okay one
353
00:11:53,890 --> 00:11:57,790
more year one more year and then
the crazy thing out of it all was
354
00:11:57,790 --> 00:12:00,170
that the greta project came up and
like i looked back on that project
355
00:12:00,310 --> 00:12:03,730
which you know we came up with the
concept i think late 2017 and we
356
00:12:03,730 --> 00:12:06,370
were open november 2018 in our
first location in calgary and
357
00:12:06,370 --> 00:12:09,390
Basically, my deal with my partner
at that point was like, put off
358
00:12:12,670 --> 00:12:20,050
moving to Kelowna fully and run
this brand, but I'm okay with you
359
00:12:20,050 --> 00:12:24,510
having these projects in Kelowna,
you know, as long as those
360
00:12:24,510 --> 00:12:27,810
projects, you know, don't require,
you know, full time from you.
361
00:12:27,810 --> 00:12:30,250
You know, when you talk about the
Kelowna story, that's always been
362
00:12:30,250 --> 00:12:32,870
the tough one for me is I've never
lived in Kelowna fully.
363
00:12:32,870 --> 00:12:35,410
You know, we own a house in
McKinley, but when the short -term
364
00:12:35,410 --> 00:12:38,090
rental rules changed, it became a
long -term rental instead of a
365
00:12:38,090 --> 00:12:38,610
short -term rental.
366
00:12:38,610 --> 00:12:40,150
You know, we bought the house
367
00:12:40,150 --> 00:12:43,290
specifically with the mindset that
we would short term rent, you
368
00:12:43,290 --> 00:12:46,270
know, three weeks out of a month
and then we'd be there one week
369
00:12:46,270 --> 00:12:47,130
out of the month.
370
00:12:47,130 --> 00:12:48,530
And that was with my new partner
371
00:12:48,530 --> 00:12:50,410
and my two little kids.
372
00:12:50,410 --> 00:12:51,790
And so, you know, that dream went
373
00:12:51,790 --> 00:12:53,330
out the window very quickly.
374
00:12:53,330 --> 00:12:53,930
It was literally, I think we
375
00:12:53,930 --> 00:12:54,490
bought in June.
376
00:12:54,490 --> 00:12:56,290
I can't remember when the law
377
00:12:56,290 --> 00:12:57,130
changed fully.
378
00:12:57,130 --> 00:12:58,290
I think it was May, but you know,
379
00:12:58,290 --> 00:13:00,630
between that 11 month span,
obviously short -term rentals
380
00:13:00,630 --> 00:13:01,570
became not a possibility.
381
00:13:01,570 --> 00:13:02,850
And so, yeah, we had to make the
382
00:13:02,850 --> 00:13:06,830
call of just finding a long -term
renter.
383
00:13:06,830 --> 00:13:11,040
And so I actually, it's been over
a year since we've lived in that
384
00:13:11,040 --> 00:13:11,860
house we have in Kelowna.
385
00:13:11,860 --> 00:13:13,360
We're going to jump into the short
386
00:13:13,360 --> 00:13:16,760
-term rental thing here in a
second, going to jump into the
387
00:13:16,760 --> 00:13:18,820
short -term rental thing here in a
second, but like you have
388
00:13:18,820 --> 00:13:20,460
experience all over the country.
389
00:13:20,460 --> 00:13:22,480
So what's it like to run a
390
00:13:22,700 --> 00:13:23,600
restaurant in Kelowna compared to
other places?
391
00:13:23,600 --> 00:13:26,320
There's very few places in the
world that I could say that I've
392
00:13:26,320 --> 00:13:28,740
been to and traveled to that I
think would be as challenging as
393
00:13:28,740 --> 00:13:28,860
Kelowna.
394
00:13:28,860 --> 00:13:30,960
And that's for lots of reasons.
395
00:13:30,960 --> 00:13:33,620
I mean, right off the bat,
seasonality.
396
00:13:33,620 --> 00:13:35,220
And I know that Kelowna is
obviously experiencing growth.
397
00:13:35,220 --> 00:13:38,400
Actually, maybe not in the last
year, but had been experiencing
398
00:13:38,400 --> 00:13:39,340
pretty amazing growth for years.
399
00:13:39,340 --> 00:13:40,880
And I know that there's a great
400
00:13:40,880 --> 00:13:41,200
Kelowna 2040 plan.
401
00:13:41,200 --> 00:13:42,380
And I had lots of chats with the
402
00:13:42,380 --> 00:13:44,480
previous mayor when he was in
office and a little couple of
403
00:13:44,480 --> 00:13:47,120
chats with the current mayor about
where Kelowna is going.
404
00:13:47,120 --> 00:13:49,720
And I think for me and for what
I've experienced with restaurants,
405
00:13:49,720 --> 00:13:52,850
is just the swings of the busy
season and slow season are just
406
00:13:52,850 --> 00:13:54,950
really tough to take in all
aspects, whether that be revenue
407
00:13:54,950 --> 00:13:59,310
and cash management and inventory
and all that, or whether it be on
408
00:13:59,310 --> 00:14:01,450
the other side of that with, you
know, like staffing and keeping
409
00:14:01,450 --> 00:14:04,090
good staff and every year having
to have this hiring cycle where
410
00:14:04,090 --> 00:14:05,790
you go, even with small
restaurants, you know, like Salt
411
00:14:05,790 --> 00:14:07,770
and Brick in the winter and Jack's
in the winter, I think our first
412
00:14:07,770 --> 00:14:07,570
or second winter, I might add like
10 staff total between the two
413
00:14:07,570 --> 00:14:07,770
places.
414
00:14:07,770 --> 00:14:08,730
So if someone's sick or anything
415
00:14:08,730 --> 00:14:11,150
like that happened, That was
always a challenge.
416
00:14:11,150 --> 00:14:13,130
And then you got to scale up in
the summer.
417
00:14:13,130 --> 00:14:16,000
So I always have found that
seasonality played into it.
418
00:14:16,000 --> 00:14:17,480
The fires 1000 % play into it.
419
00:14:17,480 --> 00:14:18,880
We used to be a partner with a
420
00:14:18,880 --> 00:14:21,880
wedding venue for Salt and Brick
and it was a huge piece of our
421
00:14:21,880 --> 00:14:22,800
business for several years.
422
00:14:22,900 --> 00:14:24,140
But like August weddings just
423
00:14:24,400 --> 00:14:24,900
stopped happening.
424
00:14:24,900 --> 00:14:26,980
It was part of the reason the
425
00:14:27,080 --> 00:14:29,460
partnership ended up changing was
because like you truly like one of
426
00:14:29,460 --> 00:14:30,920
the months of the year.
427
00:14:31,080 --> 00:14:32,340
So again, hiring a chef and then
428
00:14:32,340 --> 00:14:35,940
having one or two weddings and all
of August for him to work, you
429
00:14:35,940 --> 00:14:37,260
know, or her to work wasn't
enough.
430
00:14:37,260 --> 00:14:39,460
So I definitely think the fires
are a challenging part of Kelowna.
431
00:14:39,460 --> 00:14:43,120
And when we have two years in a
row without major fires, I believe
432
00:14:43,120 --> 00:14:44,900
that's a good thing.
433
00:14:44,900 --> 00:14:47,480
I think it's a good thing for the
434
00:14:47,480 --> 00:14:47,940
real estate.
435
00:14:47,940 --> 00:14:50,100
I think it's a good thing for
436
00:14:50,100 --> 00:14:50,580
tourism.
437
00:14:50,580 --> 00:14:53,200
There are a lot of people in
438
00:14:53,200 --> 00:14:56,460
Alberta that I know personally
that have places in Kelowna that
439
00:14:56,460 --> 00:15:00,580
had that same mentality of like,
we'll go to Kelowna for the summer
440
00:15:00,580 --> 00:15:02,100
until the first fire hits.
441
00:15:02,100 --> 00:15:03,600
And then we might not come back
442
00:15:03,600 --> 00:15:05,760
for the rest of the summer unless
it can be contained.
443
00:15:05,760 --> 00:15:07,380
Those ones were probably the
seasonality of the second one.
444
00:15:07,380 --> 00:15:10,140
And then, yeah, we can talk about
the short -term rentals when you
445
00:15:10,140 --> 00:15:10,360
want.
446
00:15:10,360 --> 00:15:12,020
because i had a property that's a
447
00:15:12,020 --> 00:15:14,820
short -term rental i have a
restaurant in a building that had
448
00:15:14,820 --> 00:15:17,180
short -term rentals above it that
had to convert and then obviously
449
00:15:17,180 --> 00:15:20,280
had multiple other businesses in
the city like i can definitely
450
00:15:20,280 --> 00:15:23,940
speak to my true opinions on the
short -term rental changes let
451
00:15:23,940 --> 00:15:25,660
your true opinions fly immediately
your true opinions fly immediately
452
00:15:25,660 --> 00:15:28,160
Yeah, I mean, so I'm a pretty
transparent guy when it comes to
453
00:15:28,160 --> 00:15:31,860
numbers and things with business
because I don't think there's any
454
00:15:31,860 --> 00:15:32,660
reason to kind of usually hide
back.
455
00:15:32,660 --> 00:15:36,220
But we basically experienced an
over 30 % drop at Diner Deluxe
456
00:15:36,220 --> 00:15:37,580
below, you know, the shores across
from Gyro there.
457
00:15:37,660 --> 00:15:40,260
Like overnight, like almost our
whole drop was May 1 of last year
458
00:15:40,260 --> 00:15:41,280
until August 31 or maybe September
30th.
459
00:15:41,400 --> 00:15:42,640
It was almost all contained in
those months.
460
00:15:42,640 --> 00:15:45,310
The rest of the year, we were kind
of flat.
461
00:15:45,310 --> 00:15:46,910
Actually, we were trending really
well going into it.
462
00:15:46,910 --> 00:15:50,030
And that building at 1 % last
summer, I'm pretty confident was
463
00:15:50,030 --> 00:15:51,470
at 12 % occupancy because they
were converting from a short -term
464
00:15:51,470 --> 00:15:52,470
rental to a long -term rental
building.
465
00:15:52,470 --> 00:15:54,890
So it was very clear and apparent
that like, hey, this isn't
466
00:15:54,890 --> 00:15:56,670
something we're really doing wrong
as operators.
467
00:15:56,670 --> 00:15:58,230
The same chef had a very similar
staff.
468
00:15:58,230 --> 00:16:01,150
We have been able to claw back
some of those numbers this summer.
469
00:16:01,150 --> 00:16:02,710
Same team as well.
470
00:16:02,850 --> 00:16:04,230
So I look back at that $300 ,000
471
00:16:04,230 --> 00:16:05,250
dip and be like, that was...
472
00:16:05,250 --> 00:16:06,870
almost entirely related to short
473
00:16:06,870 --> 00:16:07,290
-term rentals.
474
00:16:07,290 --> 00:16:09,470
I'm sure there was a component of
475
00:16:09,590 --> 00:16:10,350
it related to the fires.
476
00:16:10,350 --> 00:16:11,410
There's a component of it related
477
00:16:11,410 --> 00:16:13,900
to economic, you know, micro and
macroeconomic conditions and
478
00:16:13,900 --> 00:16:14,200
inflationary times.
479
00:16:14,200 --> 00:16:16,660
Overall, I was like, look back at
480
00:16:16,660 --> 00:16:16,840
it.
481
00:16:16,840 --> 00:16:18,240
I go like short -term rentals is
482
00:16:18,240 --> 00:16:18,700
what did that.
483
00:16:18,700 --> 00:16:20,660
And you just look at all these
484
00:16:20,660 --> 00:16:22,960
purpose -built buildings that have
restaurant retail spaces in them
485
00:16:22,960 --> 00:16:26,320
that can't lease them because
they're not allowed to do short
486
00:16:26,320 --> 00:16:27,360
-term rentals currently.
487
00:16:27,360 --> 00:16:28,720
And it's just organic.
488
00:16:28,720 --> 00:16:29,780
To me, it looks abundantly clear.
489
00:16:31,430 --> 00:16:32,630
And there's been some great
490
00:16:32,630 --> 00:16:32,710
studies.
491
00:16:32,710 --> 00:16:34,570
There's a big one out in New York
492
00:16:34,570 --> 00:16:37,010
that was comparing a long -term
building above you as a tenant to
493
00:16:37,010 --> 00:16:37,890
a short -term building.
494
00:16:37,890 --> 00:16:40,490
And Airbnb did the study, so maybe
495
00:16:40,490 --> 00:16:42,490
it's a little skewed in their
favor.
496
00:16:42,490 --> 00:16:47,430
But the end result was like, as an
operator of a restaurant in a
497
00:16:47,430 --> 00:16:50,330
building with short -term rentals,
I should expect two to three
498
00:16:50,330 --> 00:16:53,270
visits a week from each unit.
499
00:16:53,350 --> 00:16:54,810
From a long -term rental building,
500
00:16:54,810 --> 00:16:55,590
it's two to three a month.
501
00:16:55,590 --> 00:16:56,970
So like 75 % traffic down right
502
00:16:57,070 --> 00:16:58,430
there, just if you're relying on
that.
503
00:16:58,430 --> 00:17:03,150
When I go back to my frustrations
on the changes is I never buy my
504
00:17:03,150 --> 00:17:05,869
house in McKinley if I thought
those changes would come into
505
00:17:05,869 --> 00:17:06,030
effect.
506
00:17:06,030 --> 00:17:07,109
I never probably do a restaurant
507
00:17:07,109 --> 00:17:10,339
in a building that has been
approved for short -term rentals
508
00:17:10,339 --> 00:17:10,500
either.
509
00:17:10,619 --> 00:17:12,300
So that's where maybe some of my
510
00:17:12,300 --> 00:17:14,800
bitterness and tone comes from it.
511
00:17:14,800 --> 00:17:16,760
The other one I would say on short
512
00:17:16,760 --> 00:17:18,380
-term rentals that I've just
really seen is obviously the
513
00:17:18,380 --> 00:17:19,119
effect on downtown.
514
00:17:19,119 --> 00:17:21,119
At the end of the day, we were one
515
00:17:21,119 --> 00:17:24,190
of the biggest proponents of the
Meet Me on Bernard program.
516
00:17:24,190 --> 00:17:26,750
We were a huge fan of that.
517
00:17:26,750 --> 00:17:27,490
We loved it.
518
00:17:27,490 --> 00:17:30,330
We really wanted it to get to
where the previous mayor wanted
519
00:17:30,330 --> 00:17:36,190
it, which was that you could have
open alcohol and it could be more
520
00:17:36,470 --> 00:17:37,410
of almost like a European vibe.
521
00:17:37,410 --> 00:17:37,810
We loved that idea.
522
00:17:37,810 --> 00:17:41,070
Last year, I didn't even do the
extended patio at Salt and Brick.
523
00:17:41,070 --> 00:17:45,010
So that, you know, to me, it went
from being this huge positive and
524
00:17:45,010 --> 00:17:47,250
it's just like to actually being a
negative because there was costs
525
00:17:47,250 --> 00:17:48,650
obviously we incurred with those
extended patios.
526
00:17:48,940 --> 00:17:52,200
And I was like, I lost money by
doing that extended patio in 2024.
527
00:17:52,200 --> 00:17:53,080
So in 2025, I opted against it.
528
00:17:53,080 --> 00:17:55,000
So again, we're just not seeing
529
00:17:55,000 --> 00:17:56,540
that downtown traffic like we used
to.
530
00:17:56,540 --> 00:17:58,720
And as mentioned earlier, some of
that downtown traffic, especially
531
00:17:58,720 --> 00:18:01,540
during COVID, was almost a
negative for our city and got us
532
00:18:01,540 --> 00:18:03,500
highlighted on national news a
couple of times.
533
00:18:03,500 --> 00:18:05,240
And I don't know if that's the
change.
534
00:18:05,240 --> 00:18:08,120
We really thought maybe this
summer with the tariffs and stuff,
535
00:18:08,120 --> 00:18:09,680
we would see an upswing.
536
00:18:09,680 --> 00:18:12,460
Yeah, I think we saw some of it
537
00:18:12,460 --> 00:18:12,700
for sure.
538
00:18:12,700 --> 00:18:14,700
Like I said, two of the three
539
00:18:14,700 --> 00:18:16,860
businesses I have in Kelowna are
up.
540
00:18:16,860 --> 00:18:20,760
so you know that is a positive
sign but they're not up to the
541
00:18:20,760 --> 00:18:23,460
levels of two years ago where they
were you know before the fires
542
00:18:23,460 --> 00:18:27,020
before the short -term rentals and
my last comment on the thing is i
543
00:18:27,020 --> 00:18:28,940
just have never understood the
inclusion of like luxury
544
00:18:28,940 --> 00:18:32,200
properties in short -term rentals
at the end of the day i fully
545
00:18:32,200 --> 00:18:35,420
support the idea like most of my
staff relies on you know better
546
00:18:35,420 --> 00:18:38,140
cheaper accommodations most of my
staff are multiple people in a
547
00:18:38,140 --> 00:18:41,320
house or two people sharing a
condo you know like i fully get
548
00:18:41,320 --> 00:18:44,160
that there's a need for let's call
it sub $2 ,000 in our market
549
00:18:44,160 --> 00:18:46,400
housing, but like someone who owns
a $2 million home, they're not
550
00:18:46,400 --> 00:18:47,400
going to take that hit.
551
00:18:47,400 --> 00:18:49,300
And there's not enough people that
552
00:18:49,300 --> 00:18:52,220
are going to take the hit to have
that trickle down effect happen.
553
00:18:52,220 --> 00:18:57,280
So what I saw with that was all
the large groups, the friends that
554
00:18:57,280 --> 00:18:59,040
I have coming in from Calgary.
555
00:18:59,040 --> 00:19:00,420
stop coming because they weren't
556
00:19:00,420 --> 00:19:03,560
going to do six guys or six girls
in a hotel room at the delta grand
557
00:19:03,560 --> 00:19:06,800
and pay more money than they paid
the year before for a you know
558
00:19:06,800 --> 00:19:09,560
five million dollar mansion right
that was my final thought on short
559
00:19:09,560 --> 00:19:13,860
term rentals yeah i mean there's a
ton to back there my question is i
560
00:19:14,040 --> 00:19:17,160
thought the shore was that still
not operating as a short -term
561
00:19:17,160 --> 00:19:19,760
rental building because it's like
a commercial hotel use oh even
562
00:19:19,760 --> 00:19:23,400
their license got i mean there's a
ton to back there my question is i
563
00:19:23,400 --> 00:19:26,040
thought the shore was that still
not operating as a short -term
564
00:19:26,040 --> 00:19:28,120
rental building because it's like
a commercial hotel use even their
565
00:19:28,120 --> 00:19:32,420
license got adjusted or whatever
so i would tell you 1000 when i
566
00:19:32,580 --> 00:19:34,840
went to my landlord for rent
relief when we saw the drop he was
567
00:19:34,840 --> 00:19:38,320
like i'm losing a lot more than
you are casey I think almost like
568
00:19:38,320 --> 00:19:40,080
the narrative that Airbnb is
basically dead here just limits
569
00:19:40,080 --> 00:19:41,620
people's investigation and coming
here in the first place.
570
00:19:41,620 --> 00:19:45,100
Like, oh, why would we go there?
You know, like no one wants to
571
00:19:45,100 --> 00:19:47,400
sniff around for like the 400
units that are available.
572
00:19:47,400 --> 00:19:49,380
And there was 2 ,500 abundantly
available before.
573
00:19:49,380 --> 00:19:51,760
And then, yeah, with the Bernard
Street, like being like Europe,
574
00:19:51,760 --> 00:19:51,980
totally, man.
575
00:19:51,980 --> 00:19:54,060
Like we just got back from Europe
576
00:19:54,060 --> 00:19:58,080
and like that is such a cultural
piece that we're missing here.
577
00:19:58,080 --> 00:19:59,720
Like, why don't you think that's
really taken off?
578
00:19:59,720 --> 00:20:02,420
Because it feels like every year
we're trying to do it.
579
00:20:02,420 --> 00:20:04,100
It just doesn't gain enough
traction to really.
580
00:20:04,100 --> 00:20:10,150
be where it needs to be i'll be
honest like i just think it was a
581
00:20:10,150 --> 00:20:12,630
vision from the previous mayor and
council and it wasn't the similar
582
00:20:12,630 --> 00:20:15,330
vision with the current mayor of
council i think that's as simple i
583
00:20:15,330 --> 00:20:18,050
don't know like there's obviously
some awesome i'll be honest like i
584
00:20:18,050 --> 00:20:20,870
just think it was a vision from
the previous mayor and council and
585
00:20:20,870 --> 00:20:23,990
it wasn't the similar vision with
the current mayor of council i
586
00:20:23,990 --> 00:20:26,350
think that's as simple i don't
know like there's obviously some
587
00:20:26,350 --> 00:20:28,150
awesome big players in the
restaurant game that are still
588
00:20:28,150 --> 00:20:29,310
doing incredibly well in Klona.
589
00:20:29,310 --> 00:20:31,370
And that's why I'll never just
590
00:20:31,370 --> 00:20:32,890
blame all the bigger factors.
591
00:20:32,890 --> 00:20:34,130
Like at the end of the day,
592
00:20:34,130 --> 00:20:36,370
there's new restaurants that have
moved into Klona that are doing
593
00:20:36,370 --> 00:20:36,930
incredibly well.
594
00:20:36,930 --> 00:20:38,930
You know, Ken and Fo, Humo, Ask
595
00:20:38,930 --> 00:20:39,230
Pablo.
596
00:20:39,230 --> 00:20:41,250
You know, Kyle has done just an
597
00:20:41,250 --> 00:20:44,710
amazing job with, you know, all
the projects he has and was
598
00:20:44,710 --> 00:20:36,370
definitely someone I tried to
emulate a little bit by doing
599
00:20:36,370 --> 00:20:39,990
Pretty Not Bad because it was the
first business we did that wasn't.
600
00:20:39,990 --> 00:20:43,310
for tourists i would say salt and
brick and jacks even diner deluxe
601
00:20:43,310 --> 00:20:47,590
being across from gyro in a short
-term rental building they were
602
00:20:47,590 --> 00:20:50,570
all built with the mindset of like
we're gonna get these huge summers
603
00:20:50,570 --> 00:20:53,710
where it's pretty not bad it's
like there's no sports in the
604
00:20:53,710 --> 00:20:57,740
summer like sports are gone so if
your main concept is sports and
605
00:20:57,740 --> 00:21:01,920
you're not pulling a spot it's
plus 38 you know i'm not choosing
606
00:21:01,920 --> 00:21:04,220
a sports bar over a boat or a pool
or something to that effect so but
607
00:21:04,220 --> 00:21:07,440
i think just overall to your
question is like you just you need
608
00:21:07,440 --> 00:21:11,360
a cumulative group of people that
have a collective vision to get
609
00:21:11,360 --> 00:21:11,480
there.
610
00:21:11,580 --> 00:21:12,820
And I haven't really seen that
611
00:21:12,820 --> 00:21:13,520
from downtown Kelowna.
612
00:21:13,800 --> 00:21:14,880
I'll be honest, I'm not really
613
00:21:14,880 --> 00:21:15,900
seeing it in other markets.
614
00:21:15,900 --> 00:21:18,380
The last time we really saw that
615
00:21:18,380 --> 00:21:19,980
of like restaurateurs really
getting together and bonding
616
00:21:19,980 --> 00:21:22,580
together was COVID because we all
had this shared purpose of, you
617
00:21:22,580 --> 00:21:24,180
know, getting government support
and landlord support and all that
618
00:21:24,180 --> 00:21:24,460
stuff.
619
00:21:24,460 --> 00:21:25,760
I haven't really seen that,
620
00:21:25,760 --> 00:21:27,680
whether it be Kelowna or whether
it be abroad.
621
00:21:27,680 --> 00:21:29,960
So I'm sure there's a lot of
restaurants that still work really
622
00:21:29,960 --> 00:21:30,420
closely together.
623
00:21:30,420 --> 00:21:32,220
I have lots of people I reach out
624
00:21:32,220 --> 00:21:32,940
to for advice.
625
00:21:32,940 --> 00:21:34,780
You know, PJ will craft next door
626
00:21:34,780 --> 00:21:35,080
to us.
627
00:21:35,080 --> 00:21:27,420
I talk to him all the time about
628
00:21:27,420 --> 00:21:27,680
things.
629
00:21:27,680 --> 00:21:28,640
You know, I for years talked to
630
00:21:28,640 --> 00:21:30,640
Kyle about a lot of that stuff.
631
00:21:30,640 --> 00:21:31,840
So there's obviously people that
632
00:21:31,840 --> 00:21:33,580
are still thriving, though, which
is a good thing.
633
00:21:33,580 --> 00:21:37,420
But for an idea like what Medium
or Bernard was supposed to be, it
634
00:21:37,420 --> 00:21:39,380
just didn't have enough pull
through, maybe not enough city
635
00:21:39,380 --> 00:21:39,680
support.
636
00:21:39,680 --> 00:21:41,420
And then, yeah, when the council
637
00:21:41,420 --> 00:21:43,820
and mayor changed, it just kind of
was like, OK, we'll keep doing it.
638
00:21:43,820 --> 00:21:45,640
But we're not going to really
invest in it.
639
00:21:45,640 --> 00:21:48,700
And every year, obviously one year
it was 200, 300 and 400 block.
640
00:21:49,020 --> 00:21:51,320
And then it became 200 and 300
block.
641
00:21:51,320 --> 00:21:54,600
And now for the most part, I think
it's still 200 and 300 block, but
642
00:21:54,600 --> 00:21:57,340
it's mainly just the 200 block
that sees any action from it.
643
00:21:57,340 --> 00:21:58,980
And there's just no vibe and
energy.
644
00:21:58,980 --> 00:22:02,400
Like I remember last summer when
my first trip, once we had
645
00:22:02,400 --> 00:22:04,780
extended patio, it was a Tuesday
night or something, but it was
646
00:22:04,780 --> 00:22:05,500
like a ghost town.
647
00:22:05,500 --> 00:22:07,100
Even the summer before there was a
648
00:22:07,100 --> 00:22:08,720
good energy and vibe on a Monday
or Tuesday.
649
00:22:08,720 --> 00:22:11,280
this was like okay no one's
extended patios were even open and
650
00:22:11,280 --> 00:22:13,660
when that kind of stuff happens it
starts to look like a negative
651
00:22:13,660 --> 00:22:16,680
like nobody wants to go somewhere
that's got no customers right yeah
652
00:22:16,680 --> 00:22:20,680
i think it was last summer i went
to earl's it was august but we
653
00:22:20,680 --> 00:22:24,220
went there in the middle of the
week for lunch and we were the
654
00:22:24,220 --> 00:22:28,140
only people in the restaurant so
what on earth is going on here
655
00:22:28,140 --> 00:22:31,740
which is crazy right yeah you just
expect it to be busy every day
656
00:22:31,740 --> 00:22:34,840
from may long to labor day yeah
when we opened in 2017 like i
657
00:22:34,840 --> 00:22:36,820
fully had the conversation i
remembered kyle nixon sharing a
658
00:22:36,820 --> 00:22:40,480
story with me from when he was
still at the el dorado his family
659
00:22:40,480 --> 00:22:43,460
was wants to go somewhere that's
got no customers right yeah i
660
00:22:43,540 --> 00:22:47,240
think it was last summer i went to
earl's it was august but we went
661
00:22:47,240 --> 00:22:49,720
there in the middle of the week
for lunch and we were the only
662
00:22:49,720 --> 00:22:52,440
people in the restaurant so what
on earth is going on here which is
663
00:22:52,440 --> 00:22:55,920
crazy right yeah you just expect
it to be busy every day from may
664
00:22:55,920 --> 00:22:58,250
long to labor day when we opened
in 2017 like i fully had the
665
00:22:58,250 --> 00:23:00,730
conversation i remembered kyle
nixon sharing a story with me from
666
00:23:00,730 --> 00:23:03,870
when he was still at the el dorado
his family was there and he was
667
00:23:03,950 --> 00:23:07,550
sharing a story of the bar that
was in the bottom it's basil and
668
00:23:07,550 --> 00:23:11,110
mint now but cabana then i think
and he just was sharing a story
669
00:23:11,110 --> 00:23:13,810
about how like i think it was like
the two days after september long
670
00:23:13,950 --> 00:23:16,650
they were just like out on the
street and they popped over the el
671
00:23:16,650 --> 00:23:19,050
dorado and be like what is going
on it's like this is toronto you
672
00:23:19,050 --> 00:23:21,490
know literally september long ends
you know have seven months eight
673
00:23:21,490 --> 00:23:24,350
months to figure it all out and to
run a very cost efficient business
674
00:23:24,350 --> 00:23:27,550
and again when i look back at salt
and brick i go like we just didn't
675
00:23:27,550 --> 00:23:30,090
have the summers that were busy
enough to offset the winters that
676
00:23:30,230 --> 00:23:32,530
were slow you know and that's
really what led to the decision to
677
00:23:32,530 --> 00:23:35,050
close that and move forward with
trying to find a new operator for
678
00:23:35,050 --> 00:23:37,810
that spot It's so funny because
we've talked a lot on this podcast
679
00:23:37,810 --> 00:23:40,930
about how Kelowna is like made
city for something like a short
680
00:23:40,930 --> 00:23:41,490
term rental.
681
00:23:41,490 --> 00:23:43,450
We just boom in the summer and
682
00:23:43,450 --> 00:23:44,950
then that off season just turns
into a college town.
683
00:23:44,950 --> 00:23:46,930
So to hear a restaurant person say
that, like, obviously we all know
684
00:23:46,930 --> 00:23:49,970
this, but like to make all your
money in the summer, then be so
685
00:23:49,970 --> 00:23:50,450
affected.
686
00:23:50,450 --> 00:23:51,770
It's kind of crazy.
687
00:23:51,770 --> 00:23:52,230
This went through like this.
688
00:23:52,230 --> 00:23:52,910
Yeah, it just seems so obvious
689
00:23:52,910 --> 00:23:53,050
again.
690
00:23:53,050 --> 00:23:54,570
And there was a couple areas that
691
00:23:54,570 --> 00:23:56,410
could be fixed very easily.
692
00:23:56,410 --> 00:23:57,930
And, and maybe I think it's in
693
00:23:57,930 --> 00:23:58,190
May.
694
00:23:58,190 --> 00:23:59,270
I'm pretty sure like when we get
695
00:23:59,270 --> 00:23:59,550
the.
696
00:23:59,550 --> 00:24:00,830
rental averages and we're well
697
00:24:00,830 --> 00:24:03,470
above the two percent like maybe
colonel will be close to ten
698
00:24:03,470 --> 00:24:06,610
percent with all these buildings
that are are getting completed and
699
00:24:06,610 --> 00:24:08,430
to my knowledge are not getting
occupied you guys would really
700
00:24:08,430 --> 00:23:47,750
know that better than me how many
of those units are being i mean i
701
00:23:47,750 --> 00:23:49,970
can see the retail units aren't
getting rented are the actual
702
00:23:49,970 --> 00:23:52,430
tenants going into you know the
aquas and the water street by the
703
00:23:52,430 --> 00:23:54,570
parks and stuff i don't know i
mean i remember looking at leasing
704
00:23:54,570 --> 00:23:57,930
a space in one water street and
this would have been pre -fire
705
00:23:57,930 --> 00:24:00,450
that same year but pre -fire and i
remember talking to the two
706
00:24:00,450 --> 00:24:03,010
gentlemen who did that project and
the project we're doing was
707
00:24:03,010 --> 00:24:04,170
actually not a full restaurant.
708
00:24:04,170 --> 00:24:06,870
And I just had like one of my
709
00:24:06,870 --> 00:24:08,950
questions to them was just like,
they both lived in the building.
710
00:24:08,950 --> 00:24:10,860
I was like, okay, how often are
you guys here?
711
00:24:10,860 --> 00:24:13,140
And they were like 20, 30 % of the
time.
712
00:24:13,140 --> 00:24:16,320
And right away, I was just like,
how often are the rest of the
713
00:24:16,320 --> 00:24:18,820
people in this building here?
Do you feel like, I mean, this was
714
00:24:19,120 --> 00:24:22,580
my kind of take over the last
couple of years and tell me if I'm
715
00:24:22,580 --> 00:24:24,640
off with you or not, but like, you
know, when provincial legislation
716
00:24:24,640 --> 00:24:27,000
came out and then the city
obviously followed suit and then
717
00:24:27,000 --> 00:24:30,680
actually upped the ante a little
bit and made it more strict.
718
00:24:30,680 --> 00:24:33,340
You know, personally, I felt like
a little bit betrayed, obviously
719
00:24:33,340 --> 00:24:35,940
from both governments, you know,
I'm optimistic that it will swing
720
00:24:35,940 --> 00:24:37,320
back and they'll allow short -term
rentals in certain.
721
00:24:37,320 --> 00:24:40,760
zoned buildings you know how
aggressive they get with it i'm
722
00:24:40,760 --> 00:24:43,900
not sure but like even if they
come back with it i'm still not
723
00:24:43,900 --> 00:24:46,820
really going to trust that they'll
pull that run out again in the
724
00:24:46,820 --> 00:24:48,910
future but as like a business
entrepreneur owner of restaurants
725
00:24:48,910 --> 00:24:52,910
do you think if they did come back
with you know more allowance on
726
00:24:52,910 --> 00:24:55,730
short -term rental would the
confidence come back for your
727
00:24:55,870 --> 00:24:58,110
group of entrepreneurs in cologne
and be like okay We see that there
728
00:24:58,110 --> 00:24:58,890
is an opportunity here.
729
00:24:58,890 --> 00:25:00,590
We're going to go back in all in.
730
00:25:00,590 --> 00:25:03,090
Or are you guys going to kind of
sit on the sidelines?
731
00:25:03,090 --> 00:25:04,610
You know what?
We kind of got screwed over once
732
00:25:04,610 --> 00:25:05,150
on this.
733
00:25:05,150 --> 00:25:06,210
Like we're just not willing to
734
00:25:06,210 --> 00:25:07,370
take that risk again.
735
00:25:07,370 --> 00:25:08,930
as like a More people will adopt
736
00:25:08,930 --> 00:25:12,390
that philosophy that I said about
free not bad and what the next
737
00:25:12,390 --> 00:25:14,390
restaurant group, which is like,
don't build your business based
738
00:25:14,390 --> 00:25:14,650
on.
739
00:25:14,650 --> 00:25:16,050
you know summertime being this
740
00:25:16,050 --> 00:25:18,830
boom you know like build your
business on knowing that it needs
741
00:25:18,830 --> 00:25:22,210
to be sustainable year round and
that if you get a nice up in the
742
00:25:22,210 --> 00:25:25,110
summer even better kind of thing
like don't build your business
743
00:25:25,110 --> 00:25:27,750
based on huge fatios another great
example would be and again i don't
744
00:25:27,750 --> 00:25:30,730
i know a lot of this stuff because
i obviously at one point was very
745
00:25:30,730 --> 00:25:33,770
active and wanting to fully move
to kelowna and do more projects
746
00:25:33,770 --> 00:25:36,630
but like the base space in aqua is
this incredible opportunity and to
747
00:25:36,630 --> 00:25:40,710
my knowledge and i haven't got an
update recently but i drove by it
748
00:25:40,710 --> 00:25:43,870
in a recent trip you guys might
know i don't believe it's been
749
00:25:43,870 --> 00:25:46,990
leased you know and that's the
kind of space that like you could
750
00:25:46,990 --> 00:25:48,770
do an eldorado -esque concept
restaurant concept there but it
751
00:25:48,770 --> 00:25:51,110
would be millions of dollars and
like is somebody willing to do
752
00:25:51,110 --> 00:25:53,130
that I don't know if they are
right now in the current climate,
753
00:25:53,130 --> 00:25:54,630
especially knowing that those
buildings were, for the most part,
754
00:25:54,890 --> 00:25:57,510
purpose -built to be short -term
rentals and to see that big upside
755
00:25:57,510 --> 00:25:57,890
in the summertime.
756
00:25:57,890 --> 00:25:59,150
Yeah, I mean, like my first
757
00:25:59,150 --> 00:26:47,760
experience in Kelowna was staying
in a short -term rental building
758
00:26:47,760 --> 00:26:48,620
for two weeks.
759
00:26:48,620 --> 00:26:49,880
Again, like I just remember the
760
00:26:49,880 --> 00:26:50,760
vibrancy and like everyone's just
there.
761
00:26:50,760 --> 00:26:52,720
How you vacation is just so
different than how you live your
762
00:26:52,720 --> 00:26:54,300
day -to -day life.
763
00:26:54,300 --> 00:26:56,200
So again, you talk about a long
764
00:26:56,200 --> 00:26:56,460
-term rental.
765
00:26:56,460 --> 00:26:58,200
versus a short -term rental like
766
00:26:58,200 --> 00:27:00,680
and you own a restaurant down
below it you're gonna see that you
767
00:27:00,900 --> 00:27:04,460
know and i can only speak for
myself i don't know if you know
768
00:27:04,460 --> 00:27:07,220
shoreline brewing right beside me
has experienced the same situation
769
00:27:07,220 --> 00:27:11,780
as myself but i would be surprised
if it hasn't so taylor you're
770
00:27:11,780 --> 00:27:14,160
asking like basically if the rules
change will people come back but
771
00:27:14,160 --> 00:27:16,400
the funny thing is that even if
the collota changes the rules if
772
00:27:16,400 --> 00:27:18,400
our vacancy ever goes low enough
it just automatically can't do it
773
00:27:18,400 --> 00:27:22,840
yeah i think the only way and i've
had this conversation with my
774
00:27:22,840 --> 00:27:25,460
landlord's representatives at the
shores like basically if the rules
775
00:27:25,460 --> 00:27:28,280
change will people come back but
the funny thing is that even if
776
00:27:28,280 --> 00:27:32,080
the collota changes the rules if
our vacancy ever goes low enough
777
00:27:32,640 --> 00:27:35,260
it just automatically can't do it
i think the only way and i've had
778
00:27:35,260 --> 00:27:37,020
this conversation with my
landlord's representatives at the
779
00:27:37,020 --> 00:27:38,740
shores like they would be far
pressed to reconvert back to short
780
00:27:38,960 --> 00:27:39,520
term rentals.
781
00:27:39,520 --> 00:27:40,780
With that risk of two more years
782
00:27:40,900 --> 00:27:42,060
from now, I'm now going to have
another summer.
783
00:27:42,060 --> 00:27:45,020
where i basically have to start my
whole project and then obviously
784
00:27:45,020 --> 00:27:48,160
during the two years you change
things with your model just like
785
00:27:48,160 --> 00:27:52,670
we change things with our model if
you're not seeing the same volumes
786
00:27:52,670 --> 00:27:56,110
and stuff i chose not to do the
extended patio for them all their
787
00:27:56,110 --> 00:27:59,030
units were fully suited right like
they came fully furnished and
788
00:27:59,030 --> 00:28:01,570
they've moved away from that model
and some of their units right so
789
00:28:01,570 --> 00:28:04,090
now you're talking about buying
new furniture and doing this stuff
790
00:28:04,090 --> 00:28:07,710
and it would be a big investment
so i think if you only had the
791
00:28:07,710 --> 00:28:11,190
promise that hey if it stays above
people set that's the only way i
792
00:28:11,190 --> 00:28:14,170
don't know if that would work what
a loss for kelowna because like
793
00:28:14,170 --> 00:28:19,870
you have people like yourself and
all the other uh like businesses
794
00:28:19,870 --> 00:28:22,470
in kelowna that rely on the summer
boom that are just not going to
795
00:28:22,470 --> 00:28:24,550
embrace it and not going to like
build their businesses around it
796
00:28:24,550 --> 00:28:26,810
and then like you just think like
someone trying to do like a
797
00:28:26,810 --> 00:28:31,350
festival in the summer and it's
like are you gonna do that when
798
00:28:31,350 --> 00:28:33,770
all the businesses around are just
basically pandering to the locals
799
00:28:33,770 --> 00:28:36,740
you know like it just kind of
changes the vibe of it in the long
800
00:28:36,740 --> 00:28:39,820
term yeah don't know if that would
work what a loss for kelowna
801
00:28:39,820 --> 00:28:42,640
because like you have people like
yourself and all the other uh like
802
00:28:42,640 --> 00:28:45,420
businesses in kelowna that rely on
the summer boom that are just not
803
00:28:45,420 --> 00:28:47,800
going to embrace it and not going
to like build their businesses
804
00:28:47,800 --> 00:28:50,940
around it and then like you just
think like someone trying to do
805
00:28:50,940 --> 00:28:54,220
like a festival in the summer and
it's like are you gonna do that
806
00:28:54,220 --> 00:28:56,480
when all the businesses around are
just basically pandering to the
807
00:28:56,480 --> 00:29:00,260
locals you know like it just kind
of changes the vibe of it in the
808
00:29:00,260 --> 00:29:02,700
long term yeah Yeah, I mean, I
think obviously the simple and
809
00:29:02,700 --> 00:29:04,580
quick fix of short term rentals
would be purpose built buildings
810
00:29:04,580 --> 00:29:06,980
being exempt and maybe luxury
homes also being exempt.
811
00:29:06,980 --> 00:29:11,520
I don't think either of those
things would be super difficult to
812
00:29:11,520 --> 00:29:11,720
do.
813
00:29:11,720 --> 00:29:12,980
And you can also just grandfather
814
00:29:12,980 --> 00:29:15,280
purpose built buildings before
2024, even if they weren't
815
00:29:15,280 --> 00:29:17,540
completed and just say, OK,
there's no more of this and people
816
00:29:17,540 --> 00:29:19,780
can change their model like an
omission group has adjusted their
817
00:29:19,780 --> 00:29:21,340
model to more rental based.
818
00:29:21,340 --> 00:29:23,000
And I know that some of the other
819
00:29:23,000 --> 00:29:24,660
big builders would continue to do
the same.
820
00:29:24,660 --> 00:29:13,640
Yeah, to me, such a simple fix.
821
00:29:13,640 --> 00:29:15,680
And not just for us, but all these
822
00:29:15,680 --> 00:29:17,540
other communities, you know,
around BC that rely on tourism.
823
00:29:17,540 --> 00:29:19,780
Again, just giving them, like you
said, the long -term certainty.
824
00:29:19,780 --> 00:29:22,340
And hey, maybe you don't have to
say it's forever.
825
00:29:22,340 --> 00:29:23,800
Maybe there's a commitment that
it's five years.
826
00:29:23,800 --> 00:29:27,930
And then, hey, for a landlord that
says to me that they had, you
827
00:29:27,930 --> 00:29:32,210
know, like an 80 % decrease in
their revenue over a summer.
828
00:29:32,210 --> 00:29:34,530
Okay, if you're changing back for
five years, now that starts to be
829
00:29:34,530 --> 00:29:38,390
like, okay, economically, this
probably makes sense for me to
830
00:29:38,390 --> 00:29:39,650
change my model back.
831
00:29:39,650 --> 00:29:41,210
But it's just for two years, maybe
832
00:29:41,210 --> 00:29:41,410
not.
833
00:29:41,410 --> 00:29:43,110
And again, on the restaurant side,
834
00:29:43,110 --> 00:29:45,070
most of us are signing five to 10
-year leases.
835
00:29:45,070 --> 00:29:46,530
Maybe that's another thought
process for restaurateurs, right?
836
00:29:46,530 --> 00:29:50,850
So I just think the one thing I
believe so strongly in now after
837
00:29:50,850 --> 00:29:53,690
my experiences is like, you know,
the guys and girls who are doing
838
00:29:53,690 --> 00:29:55,370
so great in the restaurant
industry, it's because they're
839
00:29:55,370 --> 00:29:55,970
local.
840
00:29:55,970 --> 00:29:57,090
It's because they're at the
841
00:29:57,090 --> 00:29:58,310
grocery store that you're at.
842
00:29:58,310 --> 00:29:59,310
It's because you see them
843
00:29:59,310 --> 00:29:59,510
everywhere.
844
00:29:59,510 --> 00:30:00,470
And people just inherently...
845
00:30:00,470 --> 00:30:05,760
truly want to support them and you
know i think one of my flaws is
846
00:30:05,760 --> 00:30:08,640
that over time as we talked about
earlier like i've been in colina
847
00:30:08,640 --> 00:30:11,620
less and less you know i was
working so hard to become a local
848
00:30:11,620 --> 00:30:14,940
and i ended up you know kind of
going the opposite way like you
849
00:30:14,940 --> 00:30:17,820
know we talked about airbnbs i had
an airbnb in mexico this summer
850
00:30:17,820 --> 00:30:20,280
and my family chose to go to
mexico instead of colina this
851
00:30:20,280 --> 00:30:24,060
summer because my wife just didn't
want me to be around work all
852
00:30:24,060 --> 00:30:26,560
summer long and it was just like
it was cheaper like i made more
853
00:30:26,560 --> 00:30:29,640
money on my long -term rental and
what it cost me to spend time in
854
00:30:29,640 --> 00:30:30,420
Mexico this summer.
855
00:30:30,420 --> 00:30:31,520
So, you know, like that's an
856
00:30:31,520 --> 00:30:09,460
example of like, obviously I put
most of my money back into Kona's
857
00:30:09,460 --> 00:30:11,980
economy at my own restaurants, but
you know, someone like myself, if
858
00:30:11,980 --> 00:30:13,860
you minus, you know, four weeks
of.
859
00:30:13,860 --> 00:30:16,320
you know, $2 ,000 to $3 ,000
minimum spending at restaurants
860
00:30:16,320 --> 00:30:19,460
and bars, you know, it's $12 ,000
out of the economy just for one
861
00:30:19,460 --> 00:30:21,620
person, one family, you know?
So yeah, again, I think
862
00:30:21,620 --> 00:30:24,560
economically it just makes no
sense, but I do get the other side
863
00:30:24,560 --> 00:30:26,840
of the equation that there needs
to be affordable housing in all
864
00:30:26,840 --> 00:30:28,780
markets and every market does it
differently.
865
00:30:28,780 --> 00:30:30,560
Like I'm not a fan of how
Vancouver does it either.
866
00:30:30,560 --> 00:30:32,350
So, but we can do that on a
different podcast.
867
00:30:32,450 --> 00:30:35,110
I was going to ask you, like, so
you have a restaurant in
868
00:30:35,110 --> 00:30:35,370
Vancouver.
869
00:30:35,370 --> 00:30:36,930
Vancouver's a bigger city.
870
00:30:36,930 --> 00:30:39,730
It wasn't affected the same way.
871
00:30:39,730 --> 00:30:42,150
We have a Greta bar in Gastown,
872
00:30:42,150 --> 00:30:44,710
and I would tell you the short
-term rentals I don't think
873
00:30:44,710 --> 00:30:45,670
affected us at all.
874
00:30:45,670 --> 00:30:46,450
Okay.
875
00:30:46,450 --> 00:30:49,190
That's kind of what I figured.
876
00:30:49,190 --> 00:30:50,530
I mean, the one area that would
877
00:30:50,630 --> 00:30:53,630
have affected us is, like, we all
know the one main group that
878
00:30:53,630 --> 00:30:56,330
benefits from the short -term
rental rules is the hotels.
879
00:30:56,330 --> 00:30:57,590
So there's no question.
880
00:30:57,590 --> 00:30:58,530
Like, I don't know if you guys
881
00:30:58,530 --> 00:31:03,230
have tried to stay in a hotel in
Vancouver in the summer in the
882
00:31:03,230 --> 00:31:06,490
last couple of years, but, like,
ever since they got rid of short
883
00:31:06,490 --> 00:31:09,710
-term rentals, like, or minimized
them to previously licensed ones,
884
00:31:09,710 --> 00:31:12,030
the cost to stay at... any hotel
almost doubled like i couldn't
885
00:31:12,150 --> 00:31:15,230
even tell you guys i got a great
rate a couple of the places we
886
00:31:15,230 --> 00:31:19,170
work with a lot and i travel to a
lot and that great rate was at
887
00:31:19,290 --> 00:31:21,290
least double and was more
expensive than staying in downtown
888
00:31:21,290 --> 00:31:25,430
toronto on a blue jays game night
and you know like right by our
889
00:31:25,430 --> 00:31:28,370
location there and it's just like
and that's been a trend now for i
890
00:31:28,370 --> 00:31:31,270
think three summers in a row so i
think it started shifting even
891
00:31:31,270 --> 00:31:33,810
before georgia rentals but it's
just gotten worse and worse so i
892
00:31:33,810 --> 00:31:36,930
don't really think about going to
vancouver unless i have to in the
893
00:31:36,930 --> 00:31:39,350
summertime anymore Geographically
across Canada, where would be your
894
00:31:39,350 --> 00:31:40,730
optimal spot to open a new
restaurant?
895
00:31:40,730 --> 00:31:42,750
Well, we're opening a Greta bar in
Winnipeg.
896
00:31:42,750 --> 00:31:44,070
I think I'm allowed to say that.
897
00:31:44,070 --> 00:31:45,030
That's going to be an interesting
898
00:31:45,030 --> 00:31:45,430
one.
899
00:31:45,430 --> 00:31:47,470
I mean, we've done incredibly
900
00:31:47,470 --> 00:31:47,650
well.
901
00:31:47,650 --> 00:31:48,650
Obviously we're an Alberta based
902
00:31:48,650 --> 00:31:49,210
company, that brand.
903
00:31:49,310 --> 00:31:50,430
So we've obviously done really
904
00:31:50,430 --> 00:31:54,780
well in Alberta over the years and
we've experienced a lot of success
905
00:31:54,780 --> 00:31:54,960
in Saskatoon.
906
00:31:54,960 --> 00:31:56,240
So yeah, we're hoping that the
907
00:31:56,240 --> 00:31:58,680
Winnipeg one that we do next fall
is a big success.
908
00:31:58,680 --> 00:32:01,360
restaurant wise you know it's such
a debate like the amount of people
909
00:32:01,360 --> 00:32:03,860
that come to either salt and brick
but especially of late just
910
00:32:03,860 --> 00:32:05,940
because salt and brick calgary is
so much bigger i get more people
911
00:32:05,940 --> 00:32:08,800
commenting and so much newer the
amount of people that especially
912
00:32:08,800 --> 00:32:11,120
even hospitality people are like
do this in vancouver do this in
913
00:32:11,120 --> 00:32:13,580
toronto and it's like you know
there's one of those you know
914
00:32:13,580 --> 00:32:16,500
comfort and confidence things you
just have to build over time with
915
00:32:16,500 --> 00:32:19,760
other markets it's funny where i
was this weekend we were in
916
00:32:19,760 --> 00:32:22,500
philadelphia and i was like this
market is incredible so maybe the
917
00:32:22,500 --> 00:32:25,200
next restaurant goes to the us not
to can know donald would like that
918
00:32:25,200 --> 00:32:28,020
yeah yeah donald would like that
and what's the general take i mean
919
00:32:28,060 --> 00:32:31,300
you've kind of touched on this a
couple times obviously being in
920
00:32:31,380 --> 00:32:34,820
alberta but i feel like we've seen
less albertans come here over the
921
00:32:34,820 --> 00:32:36,940
last couple years and like
migration wise yeah we're
922
00:32:36,940 --> 00:32:39,680
obviously not seeing the increase
in population in bc this year yeah
923
00:32:39,720 --> 00:32:42,640
are albertans just kind of staying
around home or are they traveling
924
00:32:42,640 --> 00:32:44,720
elsewhere why i'm seeing so many
cool would that what's the general
925
00:32:44,720 --> 00:32:48,380
take i mean you've kind of touched
on this a couple times obviously
926
00:32:48,380 --> 00:32:50,740
being in alberta but i feel like
we've seen less albertans come
927
00:32:50,740 --> 00:32:53,120
here over the last couple years
and like migration wise yeah we're
928
00:32:53,120 --> 00:32:56,140
obviously not seeing the increase
in population in bc this year yeah
929
00:32:56,220 --> 00:32:58,560
are albertans just kind of staying
around home or are they traveling
930
00:32:58,720 --> 00:33:01,280
elsewhere why i'm seeing so many
cool that's funny i was in a
931
00:33:01,280 --> 00:33:04,080
meeting the other day and the guy
mentioned he went back to bc for
932
00:33:04,080 --> 00:33:07,260
the first time in several years
and he he was upset about some of
933
00:33:07,360 --> 00:33:10,120
the tax stuff and some of the back
and forth things that happened
934
00:33:10,120 --> 00:33:12,180
between our provinces several
years ago and he still harbored
935
00:33:12,180 --> 00:33:14,120
that resentment A lot of it is
affordability.
936
00:33:14,400 --> 00:33:16,560
My most recent trip to Kelowna,
and it was literally the most
937
00:33:16,560 --> 00:33:16,840
beautiful day.
938
00:33:16,840 --> 00:33:18,020
And I like, I texted my wife.
939
00:33:18,020 --> 00:33:19,080
I'm like, this is why I love
Kelowna.
940
00:33:19,080 --> 00:33:20,940
I was like, I literally landed.
941
00:33:20,940 --> 00:33:22,140
I was at the airport, blue skies,
942
00:33:22,140 --> 00:33:24,800
got close down to the water, to
the restaurant.
943
00:33:24,840 --> 00:33:26,400
It's like beautiful water.
944
00:33:26,400 --> 00:33:29,250
You know, it was like mid to late
945
00:33:29,250 --> 00:33:29,390
September.
946
00:33:29,390 --> 00:33:30,950
So I'm like, this is why you live
947
00:33:30,950 --> 00:33:33,050
in like, and that was always my
favorite part about Kelowna and
948
00:33:33,050 --> 00:33:36,890
will continue to be in the long
run is the falls, you know, like
949
00:33:36,890 --> 00:33:39,790
the spring and the fall before it
becomes more touristy.
950
00:33:39,790 --> 00:33:41,810
I've always been in my favorite
times.
951
00:33:41,810 --> 00:33:42,170
Yeah.
952
00:33:42,170 --> 00:33:42,610
All right.
953
00:33:42,610 --> 00:33:44,570
Well, maybe we should get into our
wrap up questions here.
954
00:33:44,570 --> 00:33:46,110
This should be an interesting
question for you.
955
00:33:46,110 --> 00:33:49,110
But if you could buy one property
in the Okanagan in the next 12
956
00:33:49,110 --> 00:33:51,250
months, what would it be?
be?
957
00:33:51,250 --> 00:33:52,410
Short -term rentals allowed or not
allowed?
958
00:33:52,410 --> 00:33:53,290
Currently not allowed.
959
00:33:53,290 --> 00:33:54,250
Honestly, knowing where the
960
00:33:54,250 --> 00:33:57,720
housing market is going and where
it's gone over the last two years,
961
00:33:57,720 --> 00:33:58,940
like I love McKinley.
962
00:33:58,940 --> 00:34:01,120
I think it's such an awesome area.
963
00:34:01,120 --> 00:34:02,520
It's 15 minutes for me.
964
00:34:02,520 --> 00:34:04,080
to pretty not bad on Clement.
965
00:34:04,080 --> 00:34:05,620
Obviously, the amenity center
finally got open last year.
966
00:34:05,620 --> 00:34:06,440
There's the winery coming.
967
00:34:06,640 --> 00:34:08,100
You're just going to see more
968
00:34:08,239 --> 00:34:09,420
stuff go out that way.
969
00:34:09,420 --> 00:34:11,340
I think it's an amazing area.
970
00:34:11,340 --> 00:34:14,199
And I know how much my house has
depreciated since I bought it.
971
00:34:14,199 --> 00:34:17,580
So I'm like, if I could buy at
present prices, I'd buy again in
972
00:34:17,580 --> 00:34:17,719
McKinley.
973
00:34:17,719 --> 00:34:19,360
I would just do it knowing I'm
974
00:34:19,360 --> 00:34:22,710
probably not going to be able to
do short -term rentals there.
975
00:34:22,710 --> 00:34:24,130
That would be the big delta.
976
00:34:24,130 --> 00:34:25,310
And I have no idea.
977
00:34:25,310 --> 00:34:27,110
Again, you guys are the experts.
978
00:34:27,110 --> 00:34:28,750
I have no idea if not doing short
979
00:34:28,750 --> 00:34:31,969
-term rentals in McKinley is part
of why the price has dropped
980
00:34:31,969 --> 00:34:32,230
there.
981
00:34:32,230 --> 00:34:32,929
I'm not sure.
982
00:34:32,929 --> 00:34:34,710
I have no idea how many people.
983
00:34:34,710 --> 00:34:36,790
bought in that area like me with
984
00:34:36,790 --> 00:34:39,889
the mindset of this is a summer
home that i'd like to be able to
985
00:34:39,889 --> 00:34:42,969
visit throughout the year i feel
like some i don't know how much
986
00:34:42,969 --> 00:34:45,230
percentage that is and i don't
know how much that would lead to
987
00:34:45,230 --> 00:34:48,650
uh a drop in the market definitely
been affected like mckinley beach
988
00:34:48,650 --> 00:34:50,920
was definitely affected with that
yeah people have that same mindset
989
00:34:50,920 --> 00:34:56,179
been affected like mckinley beach
was definitely affected with that
990
00:34:56,179 --> 00:34:58,100
yeah people have that same mindset
Casey, if you could give yourself
991
00:34:58,100 --> 00:35:01,160
or your son, when they're 20 years
old, some advice, what would it
992
00:35:01,160 --> 00:35:03,220
be?
My advice always goes back and
993
00:35:03,220 --> 00:35:03,440
forth.
994
00:35:03,440 --> 00:35:06,000
I have a five and a three -year
995
00:35:06,000 --> 00:35:09,940
-old, you know, and my advice to
them when it comes to like their
996
00:35:09,940 --> 00:35:12,520
future is obviously like whatever
you're passionate about, you just
997
00:35:12,520 --> 00:34:53,980
pursue it and pursue it almost
with like an obsessive mentality.
998
00:34:54,159 --> 00:34:57,380
I believe obsession is like a
healthy word at times.
999
00:34:57,380 --> 00:34:59,960
It can definitely go the wrong
way, but it's like whatever it is,
1000
00:34:59,960 --> 00:35:02,140
whether it's sports, whether it's,
you know, art.
1001
00:35:02,140 --> 00:35:04,760
dance whatever my kids are
passionate about like if you're
1002
00:35:04,760 --> 00:35:07,640
passionate about it like that's
what you should pursue don't
1003
00:35:07,640 --> 00:35:10,700
pursue something just because you
think it's the right thing to do
1004
00:35:10,700 --> 00:35:14,460
or or something to that effect and
then i just like i just believe in
1005
00:35:14,460 --> 00:35:16,800
being a good person you know it
sucks sometimes when you are a
1006
00:35:16,800 --> 00:35:19,500
good person you feel like you get
to get advantage of at times but i
1007
00:35:19,500 --> 00:35:22,800
just deep down just be a good
person and good things will happen
1008
00:35:22,800 --> 00:35:26,840
to you yeah i love it what's your
favorite charity or how do you get
1009
00:35:26,840 --> 00:35:31,400
back i love it what's your
favorite charity or how do you get
1010
00:35:31,400 --> 00:35:34,480
back so for the last several years
there's a charity in calgary that
1011
00:35:34,480 --> 00:35:37,880
i joined a while back at the
request of a friend called one
1012
00:35:37,880 --> 00:35:40,900
ball kind of a random one but you
can probably guess what it is it's
1013
00:35:40,900 --> 00:35:43,640
testicular cancer charity so i was
always you know super passionate
1014
00:35:43,640 --> 00:35:46,880
about that i wasn't a survivor
unlike most of the people on our
1015
00:35:46,880 --> 00:35:49,320
board but i just really believed
in a charity that's focus was on
1016
00:35:49,320 --> 00:35:51,200
giving people the opportunity to
have children one day like that
1017
00:35:51,200 --> 00:35:54,360
was a lot of the focus was using
funds so people could you know do
1018
00:35:54,360 --> 00:35:57,640
what needs to be done to ensure
that they can have kids down the
1019
00:35:57,640 --> 00:36:01,680
road but yeah i mean i always lean
For the most part, I always lean
1020
00:36:01,680 --> 00:36:02,600
to anything with kids, anything
with dogs.
1021
00:36:02,600 --> 00:36:03,760
Those are my big ones.
1022
00:36:03,760 --> 00:36:05,480
Right now, my number one charity
1023
00:36:05,480 --> 00:36:06,540
donation is my good friend Zach
Donoranowski.
1024
00:36:06,540 --> 00:36:07,660
He's at MD Motivator on Instagram.
1025
00:36:07,660 --> 00:36:08,800
There's no way you haven't seen
1026
00:36:08,620 --> 00:36:10,060
him if you're on Instagram.
1027
00:36:10,060 --> 00:36:14,080
But like, I can't not donate.
1028
00:36:14,360 --> 00:36:17,760
So he does the crowd funds all the
time to the people that he tries
1029
00:36:17,760 --> 00:36:18,260
to help.
1030
00:36:18,260 --> 00:36:19,780
Like, I cannot not donate to
1031
00:36:19,780 --> 00:36:22,040
anything he does because the
stories are just so emotional and
1032
00:36:22,040 --> 00:36:23,360
they're just amazing.
1033
00:36:23,360 --> 00:36:25,180
And I'm just like, the guy blows
1034
00:36:25,180 --> 00:36:28,500
me away every day with his
generosity and what he's doing for
1035
00:36:28,500 --> 00:36:28,740
the world.
1036
00:36:28,740 --> 00:36:28,780
Nice.
1037
00:36:28,780 --> 00:36:28,940
Nice.
1038
00:36:28,940 --> 00:36:29,460
All right.
1039
00:36:29,460 --> 00:36:32,620
So besides a lot of people going
to pretty, not bad to have a beer
1040
00:36:32,620 --> 00:36:33,880
and watch a football game.
1041
00:36:33,880 --> 00:36:35,140
How can Taylor or a listener help
1042
00:36:35,220 --> 00:36:35,360
you?
Yeah.
1043
00:36:35,360 --> 00:36:39,100
I mean, I think that's the number
one thing I don't ever want to say
1044
00:36:39,100 --> 00:36:41,140
it negatively, but like the amount
of photos I see on my social media
1045
00:36:41,140 --> 00:36:41,300
from.
1046
00:36:41,300 --> 00:36:42,180
Cactus Club in Kelowna.
1047
00:36:42,180 --> 00:36:43,620
And again, local people running
it, local people involved, but
1048
00:36:43,720 --> 00:36:44,240
like supporting the small
independence.
1049
00:36:44,240 --> 00:36:46,380
Like one of the greatest things
that happened in COVID was like
1050
00:36:46,380 --> 00:36:48,960
the larger chain restaurants had
to run at 70 % capacity or
1051
00:36:48,960 --> 00:36:49,980
whatever it was.
1052
00:36:49,980 --> 00:36:51,260
And it forced people to go try
1053
00:36:51,260 --> 00:36:53,180
places for the first time.
1054
00:36:53,180 --> 00:36:54,720
And obviously there was also this
1055
00:36:54,720 --> 00:36:56,560
huge support local movement in
that time as well.
1056
00:36:56,560 --> 00:36:56,700
Yeah.
1057
00:36:56,700 --> 00:36:57,880
if we could channel that positive
1058
00:36:57,880 --> 00:37:00,780
side of what happened through
covid like that would be the way
1059
00:37:00,780 --> 00:37:03,380
so yeah i mean obviously you know
pretty not bad is you know a great
1060
00:37:03,380 --> 00:37:05,900
sports spot it's great spot in
general awesome pizza my managing
1061
00:37:05,900 --> 00:37:09,700
partner there jack harry will take
care of everyone he just even
1062
00:37:04,560 --> 00:37:08,680
started doing 9 30 a
m soccer games at his own decision
1063
00:37:08,680 --> 00:37:12,790
which you know i can't even think
about opening up at 9 30 at my age
1064
00:37:12,790 --> 00:37:16,330
now but uh But yeah, I mean, we do
great with the NFL and the sports
1065
00:37:16,330 --> 00:37:17,410
there, but it's a good spot all
the time.
1066
00:37:17,410 --> 00:37:17,550
Yeah.
1067
00:37:17,550 --> 00:37:19,510
Kind of lucks to me is, I mean, we
1068
00:37:19,510 --> 00:37:21,990
won best brunch in Kelowna the
very first year we opened.
1069
00:37:21,990 --> 00:37:24,990
Haven't been able to get back on
top since, but we're always
1070
00:37:24,990 --> 00:37:25,450
driving for that.
1071
00:37:25,450 --> 00:37:28,650
And yeah, I think the team we have
1072
00:37:28,650 --> 00:37:31,070
at both those spots are amazing.
1073
00:37:31,070 --> 00:37:31,950
And Salton Brick's still available
1074
00:37:31,990 --> 00:37:33,410
for private functions until the
new year.
1075
00:37:33,510 --> 00:37:34,990
So if anyone just misses Salton
Brick, just...
1076
00:37:35,210 --> 00:37:38,710
Give me a call, send me a text,
hit me on social media and I'm
1077
00:37:38,710 --> 00:37:39,250
happy to accommodate.
1078
00:37:39,250 --> 00:37:41,530
How many people can you have a
1079
00:37:41,530 --> 00:37:42,730
salt and brick?
Depends, standing or seated, but
1080
00:37:42,730 --> 00:37:44,070
like between 30 and 45.
1081
00:37:44,070 --> 00:37:44,690
I Nice, nice.
1082
00:37:44,690 --> 00:37:46,490
I might have to heat up for that.
1083
00:37:46,490 --> 00:37:47,510
I also know from personal
1084
00:37:47,510 --> 00:37:48,770
experience that pretty not bad.
1085
00:37:48,770 --> 00:37:49,790
I think Diner Deluxe really
1086
00:37:49,790 --> 00:37:51,410
stepped up in Kelowna during the
fires when everyone was evacuated.
1087
00:37:51,410 --> 00:37:53,850
Yeah, we had some really great
opportunities to do that.
1088
00:37:53,850 --> 00:37:55,430
And we tried our best to really
look after the community.
1089
00:37:55,430 --> 00:37:57,570
And, you know, one of our
partners, Daryl Reuter, he was
1090
00:37:57,570 --> 00:37:57,830
huge with that.
1091
00:37:57,830 --> 00:37:56,450
He was very involved with the
1092
00:37:56,450 --> 00:37:58,070
fire, you know, fire teams and
making sure that.
1093
00:37:58,250 --> 00:38:00,890
those guys were were fed and well
equipped and yeah i mean we
1094
00:38:00,890 --> 00:38:03,250
obviously did our best to take
care of everyone you know whether
1095
00:38:03,250 --> 00:38:05,550
it be a customer whether you know
discounts for customers that were
1096
00:38:05,550 --> 00:38:08,850
evacuated or free food to also
bring in things to the front line
1097
00:38:08,850 --> 00:38:12,310
like yeah that was a that was a
great community again you know
1098
00:38:12,310 --> 00:38:14,770
like it's interesting how not
tragic things but you know bad
1099
00:38:14,770 --> 00:38:18,590
things can happen like covid like
a huge fire just the camaraderie
1100
00:38:18,590 --> 00:38:20,890
and community and again that's one
of those things i would put at the
1101
00:38:20,890 --> 00:38:24,940
top of the list of why i love
colonna outside of the weather and
1102
00:38:24,940 --> 00:38:26,700
just how beautiful it is like
There is a pretty amazing
1103
00:38:26,700 --> 00:38:26,860
community.
1104
00:38:26,860 --> 00:38:27,940
I built so many great
1105
00:38:27,940 --> 00:38:30,280
relationships in my time there,
and I wasn't even a full -time
1106
00:38:30,280 --> 00:38:31,140
member of the community.
1107
00:38:31,320 --> 00:38:33,200
So, yeah, no, I definitely feel
1108
00:38:33,200 --> 00:38:36,360
the community vibes of that city
and just wish there maybe were
1109
00:38:36,360 --> 00:38:38,720
more opportunities for people to
spread the...
1110
00:38:38,720 --> 00:38:40,560
Spread the joy and generosity.
1111
00:38:40,560 --> 00:38:41,560
I love it, love it, Casey.
1112
00:38:41,560 --> 00:38:44,600
It's been awesome talking a little
bit of a different perspective for
1113
00:38:44,600 --> 00:38:44,880
our show.
1114
00:38:44,880 --> 00:38:45,720
We talked about, obviously,
1115
00:38:45,720 --> 00:38:47,320
everybody in real estate, our
restaurateur, entrepreneur on to
1116
00:38:47,320 --> 00:38:49,020
kind of show us that side.
1117
00:38:49,020 --> 00:38:50,280
Super eye opening.
1118
00:38:50,280 --> 00:38:51,840
It's kind of sad what's happened
lately.
1119
00:38:51,840 --> 00:38:54,160
And hopefully we can get this chip
turned around.
1120
00:38:54,160 --> 00:38:54,280
Yeah.
1121
00:38:54,280 --> 00:38:55,660
Again, I only can speak from my
1122
00:38:55,660 --> 00:38:56,040
own experience.
1123
00:38:56,040 --> 00:38:57,700
And, you know, it's been a rough
1124
00:38:57,700 --> 00:39:01,430
couple of years and we've done our
best to make it through.
1125
00:39:01,430 --> 00:39:03,070
And hopefully the other two
concepts can make it through.
1126
00:39:03,070 --> 00:39:03,210
Yeah.
1127
00:39:03,210 --> 00:39:04,890
Well, Blue Jay game is on in about
1128
00:39:04,890 --> 00:39:06,270
an hour and a half.
1129
00:39:06,270 --> 00:39:07,510
So pretty not bad.
1130
00:39:07,530 --> 00:39:07,650
Yeah.
1131
00:39:07,650 --> 00:39:08,910
Maybe I'll head down and watch it
1132
00:39:08,910 --> 00:39:09,130
there.
1133
00:39:09,130 --> 00:39:10,490
Well, you ask for Jack, tell him
1134
00:39:10,490 --> 00:39:13,890
Casey sent you, and I'm sure
there'll be a butter bud light on
1135
00:39:14,730 --> 00:39:15,170
me.
1136
00:39:15,170 --> 00:39:15,430
Awesome.
1137
00:39:15,430 --> 00:39:15,630
Okay.
1138
00:39:15,630 --> 00:39:17,690
Well, thanks again for coming on,
1139
00:39:17,690 --> 00:39:17,930
man.
1140
00:39:18,090 --> 00:39:20,270
I'm looking forward to having you
1141
00:39:20,270 --> 00:39:20,450
back.
1142
00:39:20,450 --> 00:39:20,670
Pleasure.
1143
00:39:20,670 --> 00:39:21,530
Nice officially meeting you both.
1144
00:39:21,530 --> 00:39:22,570
Have a great day, guys.
1145
00:39:22,570 --> 00:39:23,270
Thank you.