To get a more comprehensive perspective of what’s happening in Kelowna, I reached out to a few local entrepreneurs who’ve helped revitalize the community with many of their brands: David Paterson (Tantalus Vineyards, Vice & Virtue Brewing); Kyle Nixon (BNA Brewing Co., Skinny Duke’s Glorious Emporium, Bernie’s Supper Club and Cinema); and Casey Greabeiel (Greta Vancouver, Salt & Brick, Jack’s Kelowna, Diner Deluxe, Pretty Not Bad).
Among other things, we discuss labour and migrant worker issues, minimum wage hikes, the proliferation of corporate chains, and how they’re dealing with consistent forest fire threats. Their respective – and collective – passion for the hospitality industry is evident and infectious. They want Kelowna to thrive. This chat has all the goods.
Special mention goes out to Ria Kitsch (Kitsch Winery), who was supposed to join this chat but had to drop out at the last minute due to scheduling constraints. She was invaluable in getting us all together.