SUPPORTING PARTNERS
Pioneer : Tommy O'BryanTommy O'Bryan is Vancouver born and his very interesting career started out on Granville Street where, as a boy, he used to entertain the travelers on the old B.C. Electric open air street car with a song and dance when the car stopped at 33rd Avenue. Everyone has a dream to be a restauranteur and Tommy's inspiration came from visits with Warner Le Roy of "Maxwells Plum", New York and Jeremiah Towers of "Stars", San Francisco. Tommy created, owned, and operated two very unique restaurants (one Irish, one Italian): 1. O'Douls, located at Robson & Jervis, was established in 1975 and named after, Lefty O'Doul, a famous baseball player in the 1920's and 1930's, and who also managed the Vancouver Mounties in 1958. The restaurant, awash in nostalgia, was designed to allow the casual diner to enjoy good food from an appealing menu in a relaxed atmosphere. For an unusual change, fresh fruit was served with all entrees in place of the usual vegetables. O'Douls was decked out with fresh flowers & ferns under a sloping glass ceiling seating 120 people on the main floor and balcony. In addition it seated another 20 people in the outdoor enclosed sidewalk café which was the first of its kind in Vancouver. Adjacent to this was an antique popcorn wagon which operated in the evenings. The large stained glass front doors once formed the entrance to the main pavillion of the 1915 San Francisco Pan Pacific Exposition. The 38 seat bar featured a 10ft. circular stained glass ceiling light circa 1910 from a Pennsylvania Church and an automatic banjo playing an old melody. O'Douls celebrated all special days with appropriate decorations for each occasion. On St. Patrick's Day over 500 Irish Coffees would be served. O'Douls was sold in 1981. 2. Tommy O's Off Broadway, Restorante Italiano, located at 10th & Commercial Drive was established in 1978. Classic Italian cuisine was served. Tommy O's was famous for its fresh pasta made daily in an open kitchen which was in full view of the patrons. The décor was warm and elegant with brass, marble, carved pine tables and ceramic animals. Fresh flowers were displayed throughout. Tommy O's celebrated all special days with appropriate decorations for each occasion. Each spring, Tommy O's held the traditional "Italian Carnival" with musicians, singers, & dancers. Frequently Robert Julian of the Seattle Opera attended in the role of "singing bartender". Many celebrities and sports personalities found their way to Tommy O's. Tommy continued in business until he retired and closed Tommy O's in 1996. Interview with Tommy O'BryanWhat was your first job in the industry? I waited tables at a sorority house in Washington when I went to college. That would be the first job, but I didn’t start really until about 1972, when I had bought the Capri Hotel on Robson and we changed the name to O’Douls – we had a little coffee shop there. What is the most memorable moment of your career? I just think it was all so satisfying that people complimented your restaurant. What we did, we believed, was honest and we tried to give good value and things that I might not have gotten as a customer myself. It was always fun to create things and see how they would work. That’s the one reason I liked the business very much, because of the creativity, not only in the food, but in the setting. What advice do you have for people just starting out in the industry? I think now, a lot of people start out without a plan and they really have to ask themselves “what are we doing that people will like?” and “why should they come to our restaurant?” A lot of restaurants are very similar and actually a lot are mediocre and the people aren’t really prepared. What do you think is the biggest issue facing restaurateurs today? Well, the food costs are high. I think it’s really the cost of the goods that is probably the biggest problem. What’s the next step for raising the bar in the B.C. foodservice industry? I think that it’s so important to have a staff that’s disciplined because customers do notice. You know things like, sometimes you’ll see when someone has left, a waiter will go and take a look at the bill or pick up the change and then go away from the table without clearing anything. Things like that, they all add up in the presentation. Interview by Jessica Scharien Click on the images below to start videos Introduction movie shown during the BC Restaurant Hall of Fame Gala, April 2008. Interview and award acceptance speech recorded during the BC Restaurant Hall of Fame Gala, April 2008. |