Watermark

[appreciator]

I think this closing before 11 p.m. may be a common occurrence for Watermark.

A friend and I decided to check it out for a drink on a Monday in October, after we'd had dinner elsewhere in the 'hood. Went up the elevator at about 10:15, maybe 10:30, and when we arrived at the top, we were greeted by two servers telling us they were closed. I noted that their sign said open till 11 and they said they closed early on slow nights.

Fair enough but change the sign to say "we close whenever the hell we damn well feel like it", or something to that affect.

Not impressed.

Edited November 27, 2005 by appreciator (log)

[Andrew Morrison]

One need only travel not too far upthread to read the early opining as to how the cool weather and 5pm sunsets would treat them. A lot of people were suggesting mediocre food would play well because of the great location.

With the intertwining of two cliches, perhaps not.

Looks aren't everything.

Size doesn't matter.

The dog days of the daffodils are still a galaxy far, far away. Spring can't come soon enough.

[jamiemaw]

Unacceptable behaviour, no question. On so many levels.

[EDIT]

I wonder, Jamie, did you mention this to the GM? Also, does anyone know

if Watermark staff lurks here? This really outta be mentioned to management.

If I ran the joint, I'd want people to know this one guy does not represent

my business approach and he should be given an attitude adjustment --

or his walking papers.

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First, let me reiterate that I don't want to make a mountain out of a molehill; nobody died, as they say, but I do share feedbag's concern:

Billing yourself as a "tourist destination restaurant" implies

in a way that you provide an experience that's representative

of a Vancouver experience. If Jamie had been a tourist, imagine

the stories he'd tell his friends and family upon return to his

home.

When it was all said and done, the incident was silly and amateurishly handled. I'm glad it happened to me and my friends and not to some hapless tourists. If I'd been visiting Vancouver I really would have shaken my head. But believe me, at my advanced age I've seen much worse.

Coincidentally, one of the folks exiting the Lieutenant-Governor's wine dinner at Lumière that night was the publicist who represents Watermark - an exquisite chap whom I respect. I took him aside quietly and told him this rather amusing story. He grimaced, rolled his eyes and assured me that he'd mention it.

He did. David Richards called me within a day or two. The message on my voice mail began, "I understand we screwed up again . . ." Now that I've reported the incident, I'll be sure to return his call.

Edited November 27, 2005 by jamiemaw (log)

[easy]

Jamie : Did you have a reservation ?

You are a good sport and a man of your word saying you would try them in November.

I have only ever had good food from Lynda so I will go in, if just to show her a bit of support.

Myself, I would have called the manager out on it. I would have made him squirm and demanded to speak to the GM.

You were not there as a reviewer, or on some media junket. You were there as a regular, PAYING guest. The sign on the door said 11:00 ! That means 11:00.

I have had to suffer the wrath of a upset guest when the doors have been closed early. Sometimes it just makes sense, when tumbleweeds are blowing down the street and your last guests left two hours ago, but I stand there and take it on the chin anyways.

Seeing the other tables still in the restaurant, and the manager sitting down to eat his dinner means the kitchen had not crossed the "point of no return." That is when so much of the kitchen has been put away that it does not make sense to do anymore meals, the grills and fryers are cold etc. For us, we turn the grill and fryers off last so the point of no return is about 15 minutes from lights out. This was not the case at Watermark. Perhaps the inmates are running the asylum there and ownership is not aware that the restaurant is going dark early. That leads to going dark permanently. Restaurants and cars have a similarity there : They both can run downhill without any direction from anyone.

Post Script

$750.00 bill is about $620.00 to the restaurant.

Cost of goods @ 35 % cost ( $217.00 ) - they probably run at about $30%

2 cooks @ $15.00 / hour @ 2hours extra - an extreme estimate - I doubt they pay that much

2 servers @ $8.00 / hour @ 2 hours extra - happy to make the tips if the night was that slow !

Labour: $84.00

Cost to the restaurant $301.00

Profit to the restaurant $319.00

Inconvience to the manager : not part of the equation but probably the main factorin turning you away.

Seeing the manager getting a strip torn off of his hide : Priceless !

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AWSOME!

[McTee]

Priceless indeed. Thanks for the breakdown. If the guy was just an MOD, he could have served the party himself, causing the labour to lose the extra $16. Nothing wrong with a manager earning his salary (plus the $250 tip on $750 - Jamie's generous). No doubt the MOD was talking to the bartender (another $8-$10) as he wolfed down the last of the kitchen kibble.

There are too many managers who have the mentality of a busboy.

"Gotta get home...gotta get home...hurry up and leave I gotta get home."

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Andrew, was your reference above to managers who act strictly in the capacity of floor supervisor?

[gerald]

I can only say when I was in the fine dining game your kitchen stayed open until your posted closing time, if anything your main kitchen closed and you still did appys and desserts, or if a party comes in you get your kitchen staff who are now changed or in process of getting cleaned, put a bottle of to-kill-ya and a couple of pitchers on the pass line and say "boys I need a little support"

As a guy who snaps if my staff remove condiment boxes early I can only hope if it happens in my place I get a phone call asap so I can deal with it like a fat kid deals with a chocolate bar-agressively (personally speaking).

bottom line, you get served (the worst case scenario, everyone was cut because it was quiet) let me get the grill going and i'll fire up some steaks and chicken.

[eatrustic]

They have now erected a lovely (not!) beer bottle Christmas Tree on the patio. How warm and cozy.

[nwyles]

They have now erected a lovely (not!) beer bottle Christmas Tree on the patio. How warm and cozy.

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Did you get a picture of this ?

I am looking for ideas to freshen up my Xmas decor. I have seen the beer can airplanes.

Does anyone have any idea how to make Beer Can Angels ? Or snowmen ?

[Badiane]

Does anyone have any idea how to make Beer Can Angels ? Or snowmen ?

←

Sadly, yes. Yes, I do know how to make Beer Can Angels...and snowmen. Sigh. My Martha Stewart gene has gone sadly askew, and seems to specialize in trailer trash decor.

You will need a styrofoam ball for a head, a coat hanger, some quilt batting, glue...

Do you really want me to go on?

[eatrustic]

The beer bottle Xmas tree is courtesy of Grolsch so I imagine you can get it for free as long as you don't mind looking like an LDB shill!

[Albondigas]

Any truth to the story that manager David Richards has been set free "to pursue other opportunities" and is this what is behind the recent slide from dismal food and service to even more dismal food and service?

Can the admission that the place is a bust and maybe was not a good idea in the first place be far behind?

[Andrew Morrison]

It's not my experience that restaurants readily admit much to the general public beyond "open" or "closed".

You can read into staff changes what you will, but my bet is that when we see the first daffodil they'll start to rock out again. Their fantastic location is such that even if they had Mahmoud Ahmadinejad at the helm plating uranium they'd do a brisk enough business from the tourists and trucker hats (enough, at least, to give their foodie detractors the finger). In the end, the bad reports I've heard over the winter from both staff and patrons suggest Watermark might be gunning for Celine Dion status (ie. magnetically repulsive).

I've reserved an April column for a redux. I'll be going in disguise (lederhosen, pig-tails, and a fist full of Euros).

[jamiemaw]

Any truth to the story that manager David Richards has been set free "to pursue other opportunities" and is this what is behind the recent slide from dismal food and service to even more dismal food and service?

Can the admission that the place is a bust and maybe was not a good idea in the first place be far behind?

←

David moved on months ago. Their PR guy - the inimitable Duncan Holmes - also went. The proprietor blamed the downturn in traffic on the weather. Seems it rains here.

I wonder if they'll cure the design flaw that drove up pashmina sales last year: the verandah, even on hot days, gets cold the minute the westerly kicks up, and the doors often have to be closed. Perhaps the City will relent and allow them to use the vacant north patio area - it's in the sun.

Andrew Morrison   I've reserved an April column for a redux. I'll be going in disguise (lederhosen, pig-tails, and a fist full of Euros).

Andrew, I think the dirndl works much better for you. And put your hair in a bundt for goodness sake.

Edited February 3, 2006 by jamiemaw (log)

[transfattyacid]

Seems it rains here.

Get out .

[Albondigas]

I wonder if they'll cure the design flaw that drove up pashmina sales last year: the verandah, even on hot days, gets cold the minute the westerly kicks up, and the doors often have to be closed. Perhaps the City will relent and allow them to use the vacant north patio area - it's in the sun.

Perhaps a better question is, when will the esteemed proprietor relent and give this establishment over to someone who can do it justice. The bad karma with the community earned by his aggressive and litigious approach during the approval stage as well as his out-of-date approach to the restaurant business dooms this place, tourists or not. The much ballyhooed $8 million cost is sunk and likely unrecoverable. And can we say that the place has done much for his reputation……Maybe but not as he would want. So why stick around?

As it is currently being run it is making a better case for its illegitimacy, just as its opponents argued. Any more of the same and we can all recognize we were better off with a picnic basket and a blanket at the beach.

[jamiemaw]

Seems it rains here.

Get out .

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I'm afraid to.

[lauraf]

This morning hubby and I went for blustery walk down to Kits Beach and I was lamenting the seemingly sad state of affairs at Watermark - I say 'seemingly' because I haven't dined there since September but have not heard any reason for that to change - and my question refers to the initial scepticism on this forum about the proprietorship of this endeavour: why did the city give this key opportunity to a restaurant company that has such a bad track record in terms of culinary excellence? Even giving the space to a middle-denominator/tourist friendly operator such as Earls or Brent Davies might not have garnered critical laudations but should have been an unqualified cash-cow success . . .

Considering the controversy in opening the space to begin with, what behind-the-scenes dealings or simple short-sightedness resulted in a primo location being run by a restaurant operation that is now - and maybe predictably - being deserted by talented staff like rats from a sinking ship?

And will they still rake in the cash anyway?

[canucklehead]

As Daddy-A noted - had lunch with him at Watermark today. Building looks great when you are near it. Inside space is expansive and handsome.

The menu has been simplified and dumbed down. Seafood chowder, cesar salad, and chicken club sandwiched were all sampled. Nothing evil - nothing outstanding. But really - I think most people go to enjoy the view and just hang out. Daddy-A was suprised that nacho's were not on the menu - given the clientele that seemed to be the target. The place was nicely full when we left.

Much has been made of an oppurtunity 'lost' here - but I don't think its a huge issue. I am sure money is being made - and a pleasant hour was wittled away over a great view. Could the food be better - yes - but it was no tragedy either.