Hamilton: an oasis for new restaurateurs

HAMILTON, Ont. — For restaurant consultant Jarrett Young, Hamilton’s hospitality sector has unlimited potential. 

After leaving his role as vice-president of operations for Oliver & Bonacini about two years ago, Young created BluePrint Hospitality, a consulting firm focused on smaller restaurant groups. 

“It lets smaller companies think like bigger companies so they can remain competitive,” Young explained. 

Jason Cassis, owner of Hamilton’s Aberdeen Tavern, was one of BluePrint’s first clients, recruiting Young to help tweak the restaurant’s operations. 

“Since then Jason and I have partnered and started a hospitality company to grow the restaurant scene in Hamilton,” Young said. “It’s flourished into something more permanent.” 

As Equal Parts Inc., Young and Cassis opened The French on King William Street in late 2016. 

“We identified a need for a French bistro in Hamilton,” Young said. 

The French joins HAMBRGR, FSH & CHP, The Mule, Berkeley North, Rust City Brewery and Thai Memory on a restaurant-dense strip of King William Street. 

“King William is becoming quite the restaurant row,” Young noted. 

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Chef Matt Beasley, formerly of The McEwan Group’s One, serves as executive chef to both The French and Aberdeen Tavern. 

“He works along side the chefs of each restaurant with menu development and food and labour costs,” Young said. 

Hamilton’s hype

Young sees Hamilton offering restaurateurs an opportunity unlikely to present itself in Toronto. 

“There is this awareness that a lot of chefs and hospitality professionals can make a living doing what they love here,” he said. “It’s almost impossible for a small restaurateur to open in Toronto.” 

Like its residential real estate market, commercial properties in Hamilton are more cost effective. 

“Since the rent is not as high as it is in Toronto, you are able to reallocate those funds to quality of food and service,” he said. “Aberdeen Tavern, The French and the majority of restaurants in Hamilton are serving food and service on par with some of the restaurants in Toronto.”

He added the infrastructure in places within the city is more suited towards smaller restaurant with less than 100 seats. As well, interesting facades and interiors make full-scale renovations less necessary. 

“We’re not opening places that cost millions of dollars to build,” Young said. “It’s more the smaller independent restaurant owners looking to Hamilton to start their own restaurant and have a staff of 10 to 20 instead of 50 or 75. It’s all scaled back.”

While many restaurateurs are making the move to Hamilton, Young doesn’t believe the city is nearing its saturation point. Equal Parts Inc. is planning to open several more restaurants in the area in the next few years. 

“The city is really starting to create a name for itself, yet it’s just the beginning,” Young said. “I think the restaurant scene is really starting to become diverse, which is very important to the restaurant business. We want to help set a high benchmark for great dining in the city.”