“IT FELT LIKE A FIRST DATE. I HAD BUTTERFLIES”
Restaurateur CHRIS WHITE launched a new fine-dining spot downtown
“IN 2016, I OPENED BROTHERS FOOD AND WINE with my friend and colleague Jonathan Nicolaou. Our business plan was simple: don’t close. And for a while it worked. The restaurant popped off, and people really understood what we were doing. We started Brothers because Jon wanted to cook and I wanted to serve. But we ended up running a business and managing a team of 20. Then, two weeks into the pandemic, we found out our landlord sold the building and it was set to be torn down. The world had decided for us—it was time to close Brothers.
“The pandemic forced us to take a year and a half to look at our lives and think about what we want them to look like. We secured the space for the new venue in the fall of 2019, and were planning to open in June of 2020. At 20 Victoria, the name and address of our new restaurant, we decided we’d only serve a handful of people a night—no second seating. In the future, we’ll open a bar space in the front that’s a little more transient, so if you want to have a quick meal and go, great. If you want to stick around all night, we’re happy to have you. Food-wise, we’re working with local producers. I drive to Jordan and Brantford twice a week—we’re going to buy a work truck so I can stop destroying my wife’s car with the mileage. Right now, we’re essentially serving a tasting menu: dishes paraded out over hours, giving you enough time to digest and chat between courses.
“In June, we did a small announcement on our Instagram, and the volume of calls, texts and voicemails we received was overwhelming. We had a trial run in late June. That night was like a first date. I had butterflies.
“We opened in early July, and so far the experience has been beautiful. Everyone who has come in has such high spirits—we’re all so happy to be back. It feels like an erasure of the last couple of years. I wish we could serve more people, but we’re not opening inside yet; maybe in September. We don’t want to hire more staff right now. We want to focus on doing what we’re doing.
“And just doing one service each night has been really lovely. It’s totally stress free. You don’t have to worry about rushing your 6:30 p.m. table through their meal to make the next seating. You’re not worrying about anything but enjoying the moment and making sure guests do the same.
“Is it the best financial decision? Maybe not. But after the last year, we’ve realized we just don’t want that hectic pace. It’s not worth it anymore. When customers realize they’re not being rushed, you can see them relax, hang out and order another drink. That’s pretty cool.”