Ensemble restaurant owner Dale MacKay was crowned Canada’s Top Chef July 4 when the final episode of the Food Network reality show aired.
The win gives MacKay a $100,000 cash prize plus a General Electric monogrammed kitchen worth $30,000.
The cash prize comes in handy given that the former Lumičre executive chef and novice restaurant owner recently took out a bank loan to finance his first venture.
When high-end Lumičre closed March 13, MacKay found a silent partner to help him launch Ensemble at the corner of Thurlow and Smithe streets.
He also pumped $100,000 of his own money into the venture, which is providing employment for many of his former Lumičre coworkers. (See “Lumičre chef turns entrepreneur in challenging downtown location” issue 1117; March 22-29).
Some differences between Ensemble and Lumičre are that Ensemble:
- is in a denser area and a higher traffic location;
- has entrées that range up to $25 instead of $40;
- has wines priced up to $400 instead of $2,500; and
- has 70 dining room seats compared with 48 at Lumičre.
“The front of the house will definitely be way more casual – much hipper and funner. It will have a totally different vibe,” 31-year-old MacKay told Business in Vancouver when he was planning to open the bistro.
“I love the location. Thurlow and Robson is one of the busiest retail corners in Vancouver and probably all of Canada. We’re 50 paces from that.”
The location has had problems, however.
It was known for decades as Piccolo Mondo before Stephane Meyer and wife Nathalie bought the restaurant and rechristened it Saveur in late 2004.
André McGillivray and Steve Da Cruz finally opened Corner Suite Bistro de Luxe in the space in February 2010 after they delayed several planned opening launches and lost celebrity chef Anthony Sedlak as a partner.
A short initial lease and an unexpected lease rate hike was one of the reported reasons for that bistro’s sudden New Year’s Eve closure.
“I’ve got a longer lease,” MacKay said. “For a restaurant, you don’t want anything less than five years.”
Glen Korstrom
Twitter: GlenKorstrom