Calgary restrooms nominated in best lavatory in Canada contest
They’re hoping to flush away their competitors.
The Tommyfield Gastro Pub and Bank & Baron Pub are among the Top Five finalists in the sixth annual Cintas Canada’s Best Restroom Contest. Both pubs are owned by the TMAC Group.
“Honestly, it’s a great honour and I’m pretty surprised,” said Jack Abad, the general manager of The Tommyfield. “We do have pretty unique washrooms for a pub setting. We’re just really honoured and happy to be nominated.”
Tommyfield’s washrooms were inspired by the United Kingdom, with each stall designed to look like the iconic red phone booth, with U. K.- themed wallpaper.
The Bank & Baron, which is in the former Bank of Nova Scotia building on Stephen Avenue, has art deco- inspired washrooms designed by a Calgary interior design company.
“It’s great, it’s really good ... a lot of work and effort was put into the design and redecoration of this premises,” said Clionadh Flanagan, general manager of the Bank & Baron. “It’s really good to get some appreciation.”
The finalists are chosen based on five criteria, said Jennifer Hill, the survey editor for the contest. The judges rate the washrooms, which are nominated by people across Canada, on cleanliness, visual appeal, innovation, functionality and unique design elements. After the finalists are chosen, the contest is open to public voting until Oct. 9.
“The goal of the contest is to recognize a company that goes the extra mile to create and maintain a washroom, so it’s a fun contest,” Hill said. “But behind the contest there really is a serious message about just customer service and the importance of keeping your restroom clean.”
Besides the two Calgary pubs, a third Alberta business got a finalist nod this year: Edmonton’s Renaissance Airport Hotel. Winners are entered into the Best Restroom Hall of Fame and get $ 2,500 toward Cintas services, which include washroom cleaning.
Past winners include the Langley Street Loo, a public washroom on a sidewalk in Victoria, B. C., Valleyview Shell Super Station in Valleyview, Alta., and the Shaw Club Hotel and Spa in Niagara-on- theLake, Ont., last year’s winner.