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Welcome to a town with good taste Restaurant boom fills a Ladysmith void while tantalizing local tongues John McKinley
Arnold Dinh, Brad Ivens and Jane Ivens offer their take on St. Patrick’s Day hospitality at Fox and Hounds, part of a boom in new restaurants happening in Ladysmith. JOHN MCKINLEY PHOTO
the local family restaurant, Roberts Street as the go-to takeout pizza staple and there THE CHRONICLE is a plentiful mix of Chinese and fast food places in town. It’s a Friday night on High Street. But with two longtime Ladysmith staples, No longer can you drop a bowling ball at the doctor’s office and wait for the sploosh George’s and Northbrook calling it a day in recent years, and other niches not being of it hitting the harbour 40 seconds later. In fact, with the amount of cars lining represented, investors saw opportunity. Jane Ivens is a Cedar resident whose kids each side of the street, that ball would be had gone to school here. She and husband lucky to make it across First Avenue. Fox and Hounds, the new pub-style res- Trevor had opened two successful pubs in taurant that opened in December in the old Nanaimo, but their hearts were pointed south. “If we wanted to go out somewhere like Home Hardware building is packing in the patrons. When the Beantime Cafe across this, there wasn’t anything in this directhe street has some music playing, the two tion,” she said. “There were a lot of vacant eateries can combine for a nightlife that buildings when we started to look. Somehasn’t been seen in downtown Ladysmith times there’s a domino effect.” Stelur, the new diner of First Avenue, fits since the days of when there were six beer that profile too. parlours downtown. Its owners had a concept in mind, and And while Fox and Hounds may own Fridays at the moment, it is certainly not looked around for the best location before alone in riding a cresting wave of good investing on the 49th parallel. “I’ve been in Qualicum and other places taste in Ladysmith, An informal head count reveals it is one and they always just seemed flooded,” Steof three new restaurants to have opened lur chef and business partner Steve White in town in the past few months, with re- said. “(Ladysmith) just looked like a nice ports of two more on the way soon. All this little niche.” Stelur is attempting to carve out its teron top of at least five new outlets to have ritory as the town’s old-style ‘50s diner. opened since 2013. Ladysmith Chamber of Commerce man- Oceans, in the old Barb’s Kitchen location, ager Mark Drysdale said he’s not sure about is a seafood place. D’Franco’s has Mediterthe reason for this boom in good taste. But ranean cuisine. The Spice Hut is Indian. he says it can’t be seen as anything other Sushi Wara serves Japanese. The Wild Poppy’s focus is gluten-free and PK’s has a bit than a good thing for Ladysmith. “I would say certainly the downturn hit of everything. None were operating two years ago. us pretty hard, but it’s bounce-back time,” Their owners are not walking an easy he said. “They seem to be choosing (a variety of styles). I don’t know whether it’s road. Restaurants are a lot of hard work good luck or good management. What I get to operate, staffing is a constant issue and feedback on is the quality of the food and the business is very competitive. Still, according to the January outlook published service.” While the economy may play a role, two by Restaurants Canada, the industry is doother factors could be timing and need. ing well. Ricky’s has developed a strong presence as See Boom, page 4
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