Guillaume Gros has a seven-year history as a seasonal worker on Bowen (you may recognize him from Tuscany), and as his fiancée and business partner Yuki Goto says, he just completely loves this place.
So when the couple heard that the owners of the Old Orchard Grill were looking to hand over their restaurant, they jumped at the opportunity.
“We wanted to bring something new to Bowen, something that didn’t exist here already,” says Guillaume. “And we liked the concept of tapas because it is very social. It also means we can offer an affordable option as we have dishes ranging in price from $5 to $15.”
In September, they found out their concept had been chosen to take over at the old Bow-mart building. To make their dream a reality, Guillaume and Yuki made the move to Bowen. To pay the bills, Guillaume helped Mike Shannon launch his new taxi business, BLAST. Yuki took a job at The Snug.
“What better way to get to know this community?” she says.
In the remodelling of their restaurant, the couple brought in relics from the place where they met.
“The barstools come from Hotel Le Soleil in Vancouver,” says Guillaume. “We both worked there three years ago. The hotel just happened to be replacing the stools as we started working on this place. They fit perfectly here, so we are happy to bring that piece of our past here.”
The bar stools, however, are not the talk of the town. What people really want to know about Barcelona is, where did the old Bow-mart sign go?
To find out, you’ll have to take a trip inside the restaurant and find out yourself.
