Cove restaurant gets a new lease on life

The Landing Kitchen + Bar is rising from the ashes of the Bonfire Restaurant at the Cove Lakeside Resort in West Kelowna.

Trevor Jones, owner of Il Mercato Social Kitchen in West Kelowna, has made an agreement with the Cove to open a waterfront gastropub-style restaurant.

Jones plans to open the Landing April 1 for take-out only and then get feedback from customers to make sure everything’s perfect before opening the doors for dine-in on the May long weekend.

The projected opening is dependent on provincial health orders.

“We like to say globally inspired and locally sourced,” said Jones about the concept.

The gastropub will offer the everyday food that people love, made by cooks who also love food.

“There's no shortage of wonderful premium dining on the Westside,” said Jones, citing Old Vines at Quails’ Gate and the Terrace at Mission Hill Winery.

“Nobody eats scallops and pea puree three times a week,” he said. “It doesn't matter what your tax bracket is, nobody drinks $36 glasses of Shiraz every day. Nobody I know anyway.”

Some of the offerings on the Landing menu include three or four different kinds of burgers made with in-house ground chuck, house-made onion rings, lemon thyme roast chicken and a short rib sandwich that Jones called “epic.”

Jones will scale down the restaurant while offering a private dining component with a separate menu from the pub, including a lakefront private dining area that can comfortably seat up to 24 people.

There will also be a lounge that will focus on local craft beers and B.C. wines, particularly those from the Westside Wine Trail.

There will be on and off-site catering and meal kits for resort guests.

Jones has always had plans for growth with a gastropub concept in mind, but had been waiting for the right site in West Kelowna.

“This one was a no-brainer,” said Jones. “The Cove is an absolute landmark in West Kelowna. “It has not always been smooth sailing for the Bonfire Restaurant."

In 2019, the Cove had to step in an assume operations after the lease operator stopped operating and closed the restaurant briefly.

“It has had some moments of greatness,” said Jones about the Bonfire. “it was definitely time to retire that brand.”

Jones said he didn’t think the Cove had found the right fit for the restaurant quite yet.

As someone who is familiar with the operation and spent considerable time in the hotel business, Jones thinks he’s found the right concept with great food that people can understand.

“It's a waterfront property,” he added. “Who doesn't want to eat at the waterfront in West Kelowna?”

Much like Il Mercado, the Landing will be all about service.

Despite COVID-19 causing grief for some restaurants, Jones said he is excited to get the Landing going.

Il Mercato was only open for three months when COVID hit.

“Nobody ever says ‘I'm really glad I opened that restaurant right before COVID-19,” said Jones.

Although 2020 was not a banner year in terms of revenues, Jones said Il Mercato is quite comfortable thanks to the support of the community.

“We’re anticipating a pretty good summer here if COVID numbers continue to decline as they have been,” he said.