Cactus Club Cafe
| Cactus Club Cafe | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Restaurant information | |
| Established | 1988 |
| Current owner(s) | Richard Jaffray |
| Previous owner(s) | Scott Morison |
| Head chef | Rob Feenie |
| Dress code | Casual |
| Reservations | Optional |
| Other locations | 27 |
| Website |
CactusClubCafe |
Cactus Club Cafe is a Canadian casual dining restaurant chain that originated in North Vancouver, British Columbia. The chain has since expanded to locations throughout British Columbia, with other restaurants located in Calgary, Edmonton,Saskatoon, and Toronto.
The chain was founded in 1988 in by two former Earls' waiters, Richard Jaffray and Scott Morison.[1][2] The partners started with a restaurant named "Café Cucamongas", which they sold in 1988 to fund the establishment of the Cactus Club.[1][2] In 1996, the company expanded into Alberta, which resulted in near financial ruin. The organization survived and by 1998 the chain expanded to 10 locations in British Columbia and Alberta.[1] In 2005, Jaffray bought out Morison's interest in the business; the owners of Earls, the Fuller family, holds minority ownership.[2] Morison has gone on to establish Browns Socialhouse, a chain of Vancouver restaurants.[2]
By 2008, the chain had 19 locations in British Columbia and Alberta.[3] That year, the chain took on Rob Feenie (the first Canadian to win Iron Chef America) as its executive chef and "food concept architect".[3][4] Dishes created by Feenie are indicated on the restaurant's menus with "RF".[2] By the chain's 25th year in business, it had about 2,500 employees and 27 locations.[2]
In 2013, Matthew Stowe, a product development chef with the chain, was named the winner of Top Chef Canada's third season.[5]
References
- 1 2 3 Good, Walter S. (2003). Building a dream: a Canadian guide to starting a business of your own, 5th ed. Toronto: McGraw-Hill. ISBN 0-07-089810-3.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Mia Stainsby (2013-03-04). "Cactus Club celebrates 25th birthday on March 8". Vancouver Sun. Retrieved 2013-03-10.
- 1 2 "Canada's healthiest restaurants: Cactus Club Café". Best Health. 2009-05-01. Retrieved 2011-02-03.
- ↑ Longenecker, Justin G. (2003). Small Business Management: Launching and Managing New Ventures. Toronto: Nelson Education Ltd. ISBN 978-0-17-650005-4.
- ↑ "Surrey, B.C., chef named Top Chef Canada". CBC News, June 11, 2013.