by Andrew Morrison | Rough news in the inbox today from Dale Mackay, owner/chef at Ensemble and Ensemble Tap:
Top Chef Canada Winner Dale MacKay, best-known for his fierce competitiveness, confirms that he is throwing in the proverbial towel and closing both of his Vancouver restaurants. MacKay, who opened ensemble restaurant and bar and ensembleTap (eTap) in 2011 after winning season one of Food Network Canada’s Top Chef Canada loves ‘Food City’ but can’t make traditional restaurant business math work in what he calls ’Top Rent Canada’. The dinner service offered this past Saturday at ensemble on Thurlow Street and at ensembleTap on Smithe Street, was the final service for both restaurants.
“I learned quickly that opening a restaurant in the heart of Vancouver is something I should have done after building my business and expansion capital in markets that support my restaurant business plan. As it is in the Vancouver core, with the rents being so high and the market saturated with fabulous restaurants, I’d have to subsidize both operations far longer than makes good business sense – plus I have a young son to raise and he remains my priority.”
MacKay admits that, he should have started in one of the lower rent districts on the margins of the city, where many new restaurants are springing up and where the edgy qualities of transition create a more relaxed culture. “I’m willing to fall on my own sword and admit I was wrong. If seasoned restaurateurs like Daniel Boulud find it unprofitable to compete in Vancouver, it was bold of me to think I could make the math work any better. As the ‘for lease’ signs started going up all around me on Robson, I saw the writing on the wall and had to ignore my ego and make the best decision for myself and for my son.”
Read the rest of the release after the jump…
Unlike many new restaurateurs, MacKay didn’t spend exorbitantly on remodeling or kitchen equipment, or even advertising. “Even so, in hindsight, I should have raised more investment capital, so that I could expand sooner to help subsidize Thurlow and Smithe, or self-subsidize for a longer stretch of time. It was also a mistake to expect, in a city like Vancouver, where residents have several established favourite restaurants and so many recreational and cultural options that take them out of restaurants entirely, an enduring market for a new fine dining caliber concept like ensemble, even at entry-level prices, and even if it is offered in a casual setting.”
The Top Chef Canada experience exposed Chef MacKay to more than the media spotlight and an opportunity to become a restaurateur. “Being front of house in my restaurants and on tour for the network and for sponsors taught me so much about Canadians and really opened my eyes to our food and restaurant culture – saturated in major centres and sadly under-represented in most secondary and smaller markets. I’d like to see that change someday soon, but for now I will concentrate my attention on several culinary efforts that I’ve been chipping away at since winning Top Chef Canada and also catch-up on some consulting projects.”
Harder of course than closing the doors of ensemble and ensembleTap, will be parting daily company with his restaurant family. “I can’t say enough good things about my staff – many of whom have been with me four or five years. They are the most loyal, hard-working, positive group of people, and without their encouragement and support I would never have made it this far, or perhaps even dared to try. To my friends, industry partners, food media and restaurant clients, I would like to say a ‘huge’ thank you for the fabulous Tweets, posts and messages. Thank you for your confidence, support and good wishes, and thank you for understanding my decision.”
Chef MacKay will remain a major culinary presence in Vancouver. MacKay can’t comment yet on what the near future brings but he will keep followers informed via his Facebook Page at http://www.facebook.com/chefdalemackay or personal website www.chefdalemackay.com (going live this week).
There have been rumours of this going around for weeks. I asked Dale if there was any truth to them just the other day and he said it was “hard times” but that they were still open. Not anymore. Too bad. I liked Ensemble and thought it might just break the curse of that location (see also Piccolo Mondo, Saveur, Corner Suite Bistro De Luxe), but 40 grand a month in rent for both addresses? Yikes. Good on Dale for telling the truth of the failure. It’s never easy to say you’ve made a mistake, but that he does, with candour and class. We wish him the very best, and hope that all the staff land on their feet quickly.
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Dale , hope that you find something quick! and yes, you are right, your son is the only priority!
You are young and have a lot to give, don’t look back, is just another experience.! good luck man, and do what you do best, cook and make people happy, the rest will come!
This is terrible news. As a customer who enjoyed both visits to Ensemble, I only wish I had gone more often. Of course I din’t see this coming.
I suppose the city core is only profitable for Earl, Moxies, Joey’s and Japanese joints.
Dale, the city will miss your food. I’m sure you’re proud of what you’ve done. And to provide an honest and dignified exit, well done sir.
Hey landlord of Ensemble, Piccolo Mondo, Saveur and Corner Suite Bistro De Luxe. Great business you run there! Good luck finding another tenant.
maybe a very respected thirteen years in business makes Piccolo Mondo not be under the umbrella of “cursed”
and maybe the restaurateurs in that space since then biting off more than they could chew and not being prepared for the reality of business shouldn’t be put under the umbrella of “cursed” either
you are right that dale is worth a lot of respect for his owning up to mistakes, he will land on his feet, all the good ones do
Curse those rhetorical umbrellas.
There is to be something to be said about the ridiculous rents in this city. I agree with MT, that landlord is probably a douche who needs to revisit his tactics if he wants a tenant.
Best of luck to Ensemble staff, you guys always had great food and service and will be missed!!
As much as I love to call people douches we may be premature calling the landlord one. The former owner of Piccolo Mondo comments here reuglarly maybe he would like to chime in.
A lot of times landlords contribute quite a lot to the lease holds to attract a good tennant. We don’t know how much they have put up over the years or how much they have lost while the building was empty. Not all landlords are Onni or the Acqualinis.
Sorry to see Dave go, I agree with his thoughts about building his business and better planning. Next time I would also look into hiring competent staff. I work downtown and really wanted to like Tap, but I just had far too many bad experiences there to continue going back.
Better luck next time Dave.
Chime-chime – when I had Piccolo Mondo, we had four landlords in thirteen years. The fourth landlord paid (overpaid?) almost four times what the second landlord had paid for the building. He also had to put a new roof on the building and put in a new HVAC system. Most of those costs were recovered from the tenants through CAM charges. A lot of people overpaid for real estate downtown during the late eighties and nineties and are forced to charge overly high rents to cover their own borrowing costs – one of the reasons so many stores on Robson are empty today. City property taxes were also killer for commercial tenants – in our case $2000 a month – because the city skewed the property tax in favour of residential owners. The city has changed the ratio somewhat to increase the share paid by residential tenants and lower the rates paid by businesses. This was in reaction to losing so many commercial tenants to neighbouring communities, in particular Richmond.
Cursed location ??
I worked at Piccolo Mondo as a bus boy when I was a kid.
That seems so many years ago now……….like 30
It is a sad day indeed when a restaurant has to close.
Good luck , Dale
It’s a cursed location because Neil Wyles worked there as a kid? I doubt that, but you never know.
Best wishes to you and your son Dale!