Tiffany Crawford
Sun
An upscale restaurant with a concession stand offering affordable takeout is expected to open on English Bay in June of 2011 after a Vancouver park board vote Monday night.
Commissioners voted 6-1 in favour of a deal with Cactus Restaurants Ltd. that will bring the board $240,000 in rent per year.
The Cactus Club restaurant will replace the concession stand on the beachfront near Davie and Denman Streets, which netted the board $63,000 in 2009.
Under the deal, the board will own the building while Cactus Restaurants pays the rent and the estimated $5-million cost of building the new eatery.
Park board chair Aaron Jasper, who initially opposed the project because of concerns it would be too pricey for people, said Monday the deal was a “win-win” for the city and for Cactus Club.
“We never wanted to see a high-end restaurant. It was always one that was affordable,” he said. “I think the fact that there is a concession [stand] as a part of this facility is a direct reflection of that recognition.”
The main floor of the restaurant will be 4,212 square feet, with 79 seats and a 70-seat rooftop outdoor patio. The concession stand will serve cheaper takeout items.
Vancouver celebrity chef Rob Feenie will oversee the menu for both the restaurant and concession.
Richard Jaffrey, president and founder of Cactus Restaurants, said prices at the concession will be comparable to those at the old concession stand.
“I think for comparable items there will be comparable pricing. Obviously it will be a year from now and we will have to review it, but affordability is going to be a big concern.”
Commissioner Stuart Mac-Kinnon cast the lone vote against the project, saying “corporate branding” on public beaches goes against park board principles.
“We’ll be looking to Sunset, Second Beach, Locarno and even Spanish Banks next. Will we be seeing a Red Lobster or an Earls or even a McDonald’s at those locations?” said MacKinnon.
“Is this what we want at our beaches? I think not.”
The Cactus Restaurant Group was established in 1988 and is Vancouver owned and operated. There are 20 locations in B.C. and Alberta which generate annual sales of more than $115 million.
The agreement will be subject to review by the board after five years.
Cactus will begin construction after Labour Day with the intention of opening in June 2011.
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