E160 Brittany Sobisch

This week's guest is Brittany Solvish, who joined us from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Brittany is a longtime friend who could have been known for over two decades and are quite happy to have her join the show. Brittany gutters start in the industry in her teenage years and has worked in almost every role in the front of the house and back of the house, and in every environment from nightclubs, dive bars, pubs, and fine dining and music venues. Currently, Brittany is working at the Starlight Room in Edmonton.

We had a terrific conversation with Brittany and you'll definitely enjoy it too. Enjoy the show. Welcome to another episode of the industry podcast. I'm your host, Kip.

The producer is Dan. What's happening? I'm just hanging out with you on the awesome as I was talking about. I thought I'd come in.

What's nice about camera that's off the plane? You saw what was going on with you on the bars? I was over shit this weekend, so... I was over shit.

Back to me. That's what I'm getting. I've been getting on the Reddit reviews. That's all the...

The bars are cool though. There's a fuck. Yeah. Yeah.

No, it's summer in Ontario, man. Nobody's around on the weekend, so... Church of... All the business is gone.

Oh, shit. And we just all wait and I'll go until the fall or pray for rain. Yeah. Nice.

But if you were to be in Kitchener Waterloo and you wanted to check out one of the bars that I own, please do come soon. A should have run is the Speak Easy Downtown Kitchener. Uptown Waterloo, Babylon Sisters, the Wine and Spirits Bar. That's at Sugar Run Bar on Instagram, at Babylon Sisters Bar on Instagram, if you want to check out what events we have coming up.

And then the new spot is the Argyll Arms and Preston Ontario at Argyll. Underscore Arms, Underscore 2023. So come check out those places if you are in the Tri-Sid area. July 22nd, we're actually having a grand opening parking lot party at the Argyll Arms, sponsored by Wellington Brewery and anyone Spirits.

So, you don't want to come check that out. We're going to have live music. We're going to have a cornhole tournament. And I think that's just a game where you throw a beanbag or otherwise it would be very surprising what happened.

But this is like... You're for surprise party. Okay, so that's the light 22nd Saturday. It starts at 2 o'clock and it goes to everyone's drunk.

2.15? If you're coming. Yeah, I'll be drunk before I get there. Well, it'll be great.

Actually our old friend Cam's going to run the tournament. Oh, it's going to be the cornhole tournament. Oh my gosh! You just heard the voice of our guests who's going to be joining us in just a second.

That's our old friend Brittany Stovish, who also knows of course our friend Cam. But she's going to be coming along in just a second. Before we get to her, we should mention that if you want to be a guest on the show, like Brittany did, you can email us at infoat theindustrypodcast.club or you can DM us at the industry podcast on Instagram. That's where you'll find the amazing artwork done by ZachHannad.com.co for all your graphic arts needs.

Big shout out as always to Zach for all the work he does for us. And what else to subscribe? Great review. Yeah, that'd be great actually.

I'd always help out. So if you do that, it just takes a couple clicks. That'd be wonderful. Yeah, really doesn't take that fucking moment.

Yeah, it's not like this word commitment required. So... You're not the listener. You're not the listener.

That's true. Alright, enough about us. Our good old friend, not old in age, but old in how long we fucking known her and Brittany and all of us. So, how are you?

Good, guys. How are you? You're doing wonderful. Nice to put on the show.

Don't appreciate this. So, so to be here, this is hilarious. I mean, cool. So, we haven't seen you since you moved out west for some reason.

You were telling us right before we started recording that you decided to move to Edmonton for reasons no one can comprehend. I had family used to live in Edmonton when I was growing up. My cousins lived there. We would go there all the time and I don't know why you're there.

That's fair. Like most of my un-thought-of-decisions, I'm happy that I'm here. But like I said, not thought-of-of-but it's good. It's a change I needed.

Toronto was my home for so long. And what does she do? She loves her. Okay, good enough.

All right. No, I was just about to get married. She's, we're vastly different. Yeah, she's getting married in August.

She runs a house. She's got a baking company and she has the exact opposite of me, which is both a good thing and a bad thing. It's funny. I'm a pretty opposite to my brother as well.

So, him being a minister. Okay. So, let's talk, let's go way back to when we first met. We were just talking about this before we started recording.

But you and I first met when you started working at Ethel's where I was working at the time in Waterloo and you were 14. I was. And that was a different time back then. I was trying to explain to people recently how the fuck did that happen.

And not in a bad way, but I just remember being a kid and being at Ethel's with my parents, which seems like she's another life time ago. But I just remember being on the patio with Glenn one day and then being like, oh, we need a dishwasher. And I just said yes to it. I mean, I remember leaving my last baseball tournament when I was in still in grade eight when I worked my first shifter, which I'm a really good reason no one's getting a shit for this.

But yeah, it's just, I started and I just didn't look back, I guess. It was what it is. Yeah. So, I don't remember because it was just like 20 years ago.

But you started dishwashing and then you were cooking for a little while as well, right? And then you started doing the bar running thing. That's exactly it. So what happened was I guess a short, I got the boot when I was in high school and I was working at Ethel's at the time and that's when I started working at the Starlight and it was good for me in a lot of ways.

Like, I mean, we both know I finished high school. I didn't know that sound but like I'm really grateful for that time because I think about having like you guys in my life and like where saying another six year 14 year old kid would have been at that time and I break over the fact that like, and you know what it's like, you're like, you're people, you're working for instantly to become your family. You're chosen, which is the best of both worlds. But yeah, it was, I think between like me and Jr and brow and some of the other people working there, we always looked at you as like our little sister the whole time you were working there, right?

So, and the good thing is you get like, like, I don't know. But like you get what you get is like the protectiveness of like, because the other thing about working is people get really protective of you as well. So that's probably, like you said, it's a good thing to have when you just been kicked out on your own, right? No, 100%.

And there's like a lot of things that I'm really, really grateful for. And I mean, Connor, remember, how do you live with being in Jr and then Christina? And I'm like, I'm just, I've been thinking about a lot, like the last couple weeks that we decided to do the podcast. So like, I'm so grateful for all those relationships and how that like influenced me in my life.

And since then I made some good and some bad, but like where I would be outside. I thought if I didn't have that at the time, if that makes sense. Yeah. So were you working at those in Starlight at the same time?

Yeah, it's three jobs. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

What was the third one? He goes on. Right. So because on for people who don't remember what, how you used to get music was like a used record and cassette store, NCDs, right?

Yeah. They're still around. Why? They kept a couple locations.

Are you serious? Oh, video games. Oh, that's what it is. Oh, yeah.

Video games are memorable. So I do a lot of that stuff. NCD still too. I can still get a little bit of everybody kind of focused a little bit more differently.

I don't know if they see the player, but I have thousands of CDs from when I'm right here. Do you have any interest in buying into a because on franchise? I think I can even imagine that. I guess that's stunning to me that place still exists.

Maybe talk to us a little bit about like being that young and growing up in the industry basically. And how things changed for you? As you got older, like you said, moving from 14 to 19, 20, whatever. What was interesting while things had changed?

I mean, obviously not a non, like a non-traditional high school growing up. But I mean, I think for me, once I found my family and you guys never enough, it was harder for me the more that I worked in the industry at such a young age to relate to people my own age, just because of life experiences and things. I mean, like also having three jobs was both a good thing and a bad thing. But I think that something that really had me is when I moved to Ryerson when I was an 18.

And that was my first time away from home home. I was trying to figure out Toronto on my own, but that was something I noticed as soon as I went to university. So that obviously working in the industry ages far more than they should really quickly, but also in a really good way. Yeah, like you really get, I don't know how to describe this properly, but like your ability to read people is like, yeah, like it's, you get like a craft course in what people are really liked and how, like you can, you can tell almost exactly how someone's going to be before you've even said a lot of them.

That's exactly it. Yeah. You were 18 when you went to Ryerson, but you were still lived in, weren't you still coming back to it? I mean, so that's funny that you bring that up by single end.

So when I went to, yeah, I was 18 in which Ryerson and then after my first semester, because I remember coming back to work at the Starlight on New Year's because I had no friends by age when I was in New York going to Ryerson. So I would come back on the weekends because that's where you guys were. And I would take, I would quote unquote pretend to be university in Monday to Friday and I would hop on the bus on Fridays and come work Friday Saturdays and go back to Toronto. Is that right?

Yeah. I don't remember that. That's funny. Now I decided to come back to me.

I mean, fuck, I can't sometimes remember anything. I mean, you were there for the first. Yeah. I'm surprised I remember any other shit.

Starlight was a trip. There was a lot of partying done before, during and after work by all of us. I don't think I might not have been the best influence. I don't think anyone was.

I think there's like things that I've learned and like, even like these days, people were like, when did you learn to play poker? I was like, I just remember wanting to take with you guys. Like, you get it. I was like, I got a football team and I started playing poker and then maybe that's where I think went to know or got off.

Definitely. Lots of fucking peaks and valleys for sure. Yeah. That's funny that you mentioned the poker thing because so we're still sitting in the house that we used to call Studio 258.

We're still sitting in the house and we're still sitting in the house and now we have a recording studio in his office and a very well put together home. They spent a lot of money on. But back in the day, it was still a nice house. No thanks to us.

It was a club. Yeah. For church, really. Yeah.

Basically, for those who are listening who will remember this and for those who don't know, we'll explain it. But basically everybody, everybody from every bar in town almost came back to your house after we got off work at like three in the morning and we would sit around and drink beers and play poker. Yeah. My neighbors really loved being at that point.

I was just going to bring up. I didn't like be too much. I was like a neighbor, but it was a lot of fun. Wow.

Fuck man. You had 40 people flicking cigarettes. Yeah. It was already out early.

No, they moved out. Different guy down. Yeah. No, because that was work.

That's like I was working at the at the rest of the time. So I'd become I'd come home and then it just developed from there. Like gave me always hanging out with me and then we're like a couple more people came over and then you guys were like, Hey, what are you doing? More people and more people in a groona groove and a groove.

We got multiple card games. And then the next thing was like nobody even really probably even messaged you to see. Yeah. That's my fun for you.

That was a lot of partying. Yeah. Yeah, you almost died. Yes.

That's true. Yeah. Then I got the money and the party stopped. I think probably easiest way to end that one.

Yeah. That's not the way you want to end up. No, it almost ended me. But I think there's a lot of recovery from that one.

So like in that era, you're like 18, 19. Yeah. And when you're just playing poker with a bunch of dudes fucking 15 years old, 15. I like skills.

Yeah. Yeah. I mean, right? The best poker player in Edmonton now.

Yeah. That's actually a really, really funny story. So obviously in Toronto, you guys know what those cans are. They're used to one in Kensington Market.

And this is both an amazing story, but also something that I'll remember for the rest of my life. But I was there kind of on a date with a man who's very important in my life. And he's one of my best friends. But I remember going to this afterwards one night and it was like a perfect talk.

Every night I remember trying to be like dumb, cute growers. Like, oh, like, even though I've been before and I played over the before, and I'm like, oh, like, how do I get chips? And like, oh, as we said, you know, the table of pilot chips, I mean, he goes to play pool. And I was actually recently, you know, I know that I was playing, you know, two guys.

And I actually knew. And it was one of those games where I was just fucking just, well, I was just being stuck to fucking hustle and pretending to be a dumb fucking girl. And then all of a sudden I'm like, so are the re-grant. And my buddy comes back and I'm like, that's not up here.

Let's leave. And he looks at me and it's actually a really, really solid thing that I mean, as every time because most people would tell me what to do or drive me out of their early sayings and all I remember doing is giving me his best and his ring and going back to play pool as I finished playing poker. But then you know when you're trying to leave the fucking game and you just keep fucking winning and winning and you're trying to throw it away. I don't remember what happened when we left.

I was hurt leading. But it was supposed to be, I just finally wanted to leave and you couldn't go. But it ended well. That's hilarious.

So you, when you moved to Toronto, when did you move to Toronto? Well, I guess you obviously moved to Toronto because you didn't even just stayed when you graduated or? No. So, so what happened?

I can't remember. I can't remember. I was here. So I went to university for a year, did not do well at all.

I came back and worked my first summer at Apple's serving, which was both a good thing and a bad thing. And then I fell in love with a boy in a band and ended up staying longer than I should have. Oh, right now it's coming back. Yeah, exactly.

And then classically, that blew up because it's my life. And then I moved back to Toronto. I said it would have been my year as my time was above. I want to say like maybe 21, 22 was when I made the official move.

Okay. And where were you working? So I, I, I, I, so we always ask people to send us a bio. So we have some sort of an idea of like how to move the conversation along.

But reading yours is like funny. It's like, because I didn't see you obviously for a long time. I have to move to Toronto. If I, I remember a couple of times running into you when I was in Toronto or whatever.

Oh, yeah. You want to stream my day with you? Yeah. Yeah.

But I didn't realize you worked, you worked as a bathroom attendant. Tell me about that. Well, this is funny. I, and this is like a right place at the right time, that is a situation, but I remember being outside of one of my classes, my first semester and you start to have to bring in bars and knowing everyone wanted to leave us a lot.

It was really hard for me to try and find a job in Toronto when I first moved there because one, I was still 18 at the time. So I couldn't really serve. And I just remember being outside of my class one day and I randomly started talking to this girl and she told me that they needed barbacks and this club used to be called C-Lounge. It was on Wellington.

And I remember like being still over the time and like spending my last actually going to the club. And what they needed for the first time we had since September, it was during 10th, and I don't think it was still a job anymore, but they needed me to be a fucking bathroom attendant. So in one side of me, there's this girl doing makeup, in the other side of this guy's doing massages, and then there's me at 18, just like trying to fucking hand out like shit to people in the bathroom. I'm like, I'm even knowing what I'm fucking doing.

I'm just being grateful that I had a fucking job, but it's an insane thing to think of it. That's actually a yes. I was about to do that. I remember that era for a while.

Okay. But do not, yeah, every fun club. It was so annoying. Like I, there was a stretch where I just wouldn't wash my hands.

Yeah. Like I like like 20 bucks. I'd be like, just remember me because I don't want to go through this every fucking time that I have to take a peek or do a line. And I, and it, amitably, I would come out, I'd be like, oh, looking for a tip again.

I'm like, dude, we just had this conversation. You're one of 150 different. Exactly, you're in the same thing. Yeah.

But I mean how am I going to have to say that too? Yeah. They're only that way everybody. That's a good point.

Does that job literally not exist anymore? I have no idea. Yeah, I have a district club since actually that's not true. I think maybe like hubs and shit like that, but like a regular thing.

Like what if COVID would have had some fucking effect on that I would imagine? Oh yeah, because you don't want people touching you. Yeah. I mean, I really wasn't following me in the bathroom anyway, but we're trying to watch the end.

That's true. Yeah. So what a weird job. How about the tips?

How about the tips to do in that job? I don't remember, but I remember making friends with a girl that was doing makeup. Oh my God, beside me. And basically what we would probably do is let me say it was all sealant for a fucking reason, but we would just like a really little mark of values.

I was like, leaving work in my hair and make it perfect. Nobody. That's crazy. I honestly had never known that you did that job.

So, okay. So when did you finally crack a bar job in Toronto? So when I first moved, when I finally went to Toronto for the first time after school, I ended up getting a job at this restaurant called the Waterfall in Kensington Market, and it was an Indian restaurant. And I started there.

I remember getting a job actually before I even had a place to live, but someone that was new to Toronto, I found, I basically was living in like a very cheap, very room-run gender. I was living across the street from CQD as I was working in Kensington Market, and then everything kind of unfolded from there. I hated the job, but when I finally decided to quit and got up and I had to go and hit the streets, because that's the only thing that people did at the time, hang my resumes. But I ended up doing it after that, it's pretty crazy, because I ended up actually getting a job working for Susser Lee, which is one of the wildest people I've ever thought of, if you guys know.

I don't know about that. Yeah, it's been time, Chef. Oh, okay. Yeah, I guess he was one of the top chefs for a long time, and then he translated that to transition to a TV career on the food.

Yeah, you got to consult with a restaurant with Drake for a while, Frings. Yeah. Oh, yeah, I know about that. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Okay, so what was that restaurant called? It was called Lee, and it was one of those places at the time where if I knew that I was a platter, I definitely would have applied there, but like, me, really funny, okay, so we're like hanging on my resume, and I saw that this guy was like, someone's like, sweet in the pan, you know, when I asked that they were hiring. And all of a sudden, I'm just like sitting on a fucking chair. And I knew who Susser Lee was at the time, but I had at the time, there was no way that I'd have the confidence to go and apply for that job.

So I'm like, snare the resume, and I almost looked up, and he's fucking in front of me. And it was one of those moments, and it's actually been really important to me since that, because I just really go to interview, and I'm like, there's no fucking way I'm going to go, and you're just the most relaxed, and you're not going to give a shit, and you're like, what the fucking job? Yeah, yeah, yeah. It was good.

I learned a lot when I was there, but I also learned that there was a lot of dark shit within the industry that I learned from my place. Like there's a lot you can learn from somebody like that for sure, but interesting to say it was. Like, why do you want to give us some examples of dark shit from that? They had a manager there, and I don't really give a shit, because he was an awesome one.

His name was Greg Ali, and he was an amazing server, but he was a horrible, horrible fucking manager, because for me, we'd have these pre-show meetings every day, and for me, I was someone that's managed over the years, and I was like, run staff, and I tried to be a supporter, and I was like, can I based on all my pictures? And I was like, when you, it was kind of like when you have pre-show meetings, and they would break me down to fucking tears, and then be like, okay, cool, now we go work for six fucking years. Oh fuck yeah. And everybody last time finally just like walking, I remember the manager breaking me down, and I was like, personal like crying, and he was like, why don't you go fucking cigarette, and we'll see if you can do this again.

And I was like, you know what, I have to respect myself a little bit sometimes, I just were walking on and being like, you got to the point where I would leave work from that place, and my girlfriend would be like, you come home crying every fucking day, like this is not because I know it's a really good job, and it's got me a lot having that job, but like, I remember after leaving Lee, and trying to find other jobs, and it was like this rep where people would be like, oh, like you work there, like how are you? There's like this thing. Oh really? Yeah.

Yeah, they're like, tell me about it, because everyone knows, and I mean again, great chef, shady management, but it's just not, it's not healthy to do that yourself. No. You have to wake up and be stressed out when you're really fucking working. I'm not saying that what we're doing is easy or hard, but like...

We're not splitting atoms. Well that's exactly what we're doing is breaking things. Yeah, yeah, we shouldn't be crying in this job. Like that's ridiculous.

Like, so, was it like finding style service? Yeah, so yeah, how does that, this is interesting that, like that kind of talks to me, I don't think it exists as much anymore, or at least I hope it doesn't, but maybe a little bit some places, but... When I look for you, the other guy says, I'm sorry to, I mean, this is so funny, but do you guys remember when Cam lost a bet and had to be by fucking Bartlett? I'm not going to get started.

Oh yeah. No, I don't remember that's something that's sorry. We'll take a second of it. You were right.

I don't remember anything Brittany. Okay, so we're working at the start, like remember like the front bar, yours on that bar, I was on your bar back. But I remember like this is again, we were like playing poker and I was like, we would always make these stupid fucking bets with each other. And God bless Josh for letting us actually fucking execute them.

Remember now most of that and he had to be a Bartlett? He brought that shot too. Yeah, he loves that shit though. Actually, we should get Cam on the show one time to talk about his experience.

He's pretty much done all the jobs now actually. He's actually serving alcohol. Yeah, yeah, he's been my doorman at Sugar Run. He's been...

He might be something that we should edit out, but it's one of the grossest things that I've ever seen in my entire life. I will never forget it for the rest of my life. But Cam was so drunk one night that we convinced him to do a shot out of the fucking spill bucket and I remember Christina. He's so mad.

Yeah. Yeah, he did that. I did that a couple of years ago. I was like, what the fuck?

What did you do? We just got to have a couple of times. That was very, very, very good. Yeah, we're just going to have to tell Cam that this episode didn't exist.

I was a lot of the shit. That's true. That's true. Okay.

We're going to open the door behind you right now. It just shows that he doesn't go. That we get to get a game of card going. Okay.

So getting back to that, I'm talking about that toxicity that existed in that restaurant. I told you what you're saying. It's like, how is that putting your staff in a position to succeed on it? And I'm breaking them down.

I'm just very curious about why anyone ever thought that was a way to handle staff. It's not. And there's been a lot of changes within that, obviously, over the years. But I mean, I also think, and not to be this girl, but I mean, in such a heavy male dominated chef, aggressive.

It's just not healthy. And I mean, a lot of people are really fucking destroyed. And you can learn a lot from it. There's also still that massive, like, row culture and these things will have it all the fucking time.

Yeah, you still find it less than Edmonton in Toronto, a little bit more. But it's like, it's like fucking roster center. I think about this all the time where everyone's like, oh man, this person works here and they like kind of have to create this identity for themselves as being the bartender that they'd say works out like the boba, where he works out the starlight with me now. And you just get caught up in this like, almost like cartoon animated version of yourself working at these places and then try and fit into the new place you're wearing out to then appease your bosses, which is such bullshit.

That's interesting. I never thought about that. But you're right. You know, it's like a product of the environment that you're working in without even without being a conscious decision or like, you know what I mean?

Like, that's fucking weird, but that's true. Because it definitely happens to kitchens all the time, right? Like if you are still working with like these Gordon Ramsay type idiots, right, then that's the kind of that style you grow up and you easily fall in line if you start working in the kitchen like that. Okay, so after we did work at the bullvine, where else did he work in Toronto?

I did a Barista in a Toronto, which was great. I helped run their wine program for a bit, which was great because I thought for a brief moment that I was going to become a small yay. I realized how much fucking work it is. Yeah.

Yeah, fuck that's good. Oh my God. And something really is, and this is just again, really really really like, we're reading people like, I used this as a training tool and I tell people shit, but I remember having this one day of Toroni and she's like, okay, like what pair as well with this? So I was like, this is what I think hers well then.

And I brought her a glass of red wine and she goes, I don't like it. And then I go, okay. And I'm just like, oh, fucking stupid bitch. So I go and bring her another one.

She doesn't like that. I brought her a third glass of wine, but the fuck do you think I brought her the first time? I brought her the first fucking glass and she lost her fucking shit over it. Oh yeah.

It's bullshit. Yeah. It was like, yeah. People, what are they fucking want?

And it's like, even these days, even the past weekend, people are like, oh, which I have to drink. I'm like, I don't know. Like how do you make any fucking basic decision in your life? I'm like, what are you normally fucking drinking?

I mean, I can recommend it. I can help you. I can guide you based on my preferences. But how the fuck do you work your life?

Well, and it's like, so much of that is complete horseshit. Like I remember working at a place where this guy kept sending the bottles back over and over and over again. They're off, they're off and I'm like, look, that's not possible, but first of all, like yeah. And like, you don't, like he was almost like, he was clearly trying to prove a point.

But that's not why you said it by the windback, because you don't like it. Once the court comes out of the bottle, you've purchased it, right? Like it's like when you drive the car off the lot, you can't bring it back and say, I wasn't really feeling it. So it's only if it's court, right?

And he's kept sending them back over and over again. I'm like, you're just trying to be a dick. Like, and not realizing that's causing the restaurant money they can't afford. Well, that's exactly it.

Like I remember when I was talking to each other, these guys, it was like an oil convention, and like all these like dudes that thought they're like, cool, they were coming in the restaurant one day. And something that I did use as a good training tool in the future, because I was like, what am I gonna fucking do? I can't sell this for it or if you're gonna hold it on the wine by the fucking glass. So I just started tasting notes for all my fucking stuff.

And I was like, guys, this is what it tastes like. At least you're trying to sell it now. Because what the fuck else are you gonna do it? And you can try it.

Sure, and be like this guy's a idiot. And then do it. Like there's so many ways to like fix up it. And also people are like, people that should have such bullshit.

Yeah, it's just like trying to show off. And I also think that that doesn't happen as often as it used to, but it still happens. Like, but you know what I was happening to drink with Paul Beamer the other day. And yeah, and he was telling me a story about how he worked at some fucking hotel in downtown Kitchener.

I can't remember which one it was, an older one that changed the name or whatever. I think it was the crown. I think it was really crown plaz. It changes every couple of years.

But whatever, he was the chef there. And obviously Osborne was playing at the Awe, and they were staying there. And they were like, I guess, they ordered everything off the menu. And Paul was the only one working.

So the waitress goes back and she's like, they want everything on the menu. And then, so he made everything on the menu. And then sent it to them. And then they sent it all back saying it was cold.

And not good. And so he's like, OK, no problem. Just put him under the heat lamp there. And he's like, and I went in the back.

I smoked a couple cigarettes. And I left him under the heat lamp for just long enough for me to have recook them all. I said, all right, back out. I loved it.

It's lovely. Maybe I'm trying to get him to get on the show. But he's got lots of good stories. But actually, we should tell people, if you're ever in KW area, Paul Beamer owns Lola and Bemis were rung.

Those are amazing restaurants to visit. But this show is not about Paul. It's about Brittany. So OK, so you do that.

And then you worked at the Bova. And I know that place kind of defined me a little bit. And it's like, that's even followed me out here. That's how I got my job with the Starlight.

The Bova was great. I met a lot of really good people. I had far too much fun as always. But the way that I feel about the Bova and the way that I feel about the Starlight, which is where I work now is we're walking in and still being a new to Toronto.

And you're just walking in place. And you're like, fine, all your riddos. And everyone's going to be friends with her in your restaurant. It's one of those places to me.

Right. So when you get out to Edmonton, how long you been out there now? I go to your November. So less than a year.

Less than a year. So just January. It's just January. So talk to me a little bit about the scene in Edmonton right now as far as bars and talk to around this restaurant.

It's like, is it good, bad or ugly? I had a really, really horrendous experience at a restaurant on Friday night. I was sometimes some of my friends who were like, Brady, like, being Lester on it. When I noticed it, it's Lester on it.

I'm going to say it's my year's experience and kind of knowing certain things that I would like to expect. But it's a lot. The scene here is good in something we can raise. But obviously, it's different than say, like, Waterloo or Toronto.

There's still a lot to discover, obviously. But something that I noticed instantly when I moved out here is that the industry, and not at all places, is very young. And I'm not going to be fucking posting it to say, like, cactus club or all or something like that. But there is either a really, really young bar scene, or there's people like my age or older that would do this for a while.

They're actually doing cool things and running shit. And there's some stuff going on, but there's not. It's a lot more, again, I still have a lot to explore. Is it a lot more changed than in a place, is it?

Yes. Oh, interesting. Definitely. Yeah.

And so probably not a ton of super cool, like, loud decocktails type spots. There is one that I'm actually going to tomorrow. And I have to go when I've heard about this. It's basically because it was apparently just opened up.

And not to compare it to a place that I would actually go all the time. But it's really a lot for this, and they have amazing food. They're really cool drinks. They actually just expanded into a bigger location.

But it's not like, you think of places like Snap Bar, or like your spots in Waterloo, where there's not a lot, necessarily of those, there are. But it's not like, you know, when trying to walk in the street, there's like eight places that are kind of the same, but they're all different. It's not like that. Right.

Like what does Edmonton need in your estimation for like the industry side of things, whether it's restaurant bars, whatever. Like what's missing? I think that there's still a lot of food stuff that I have to discover. And I'm not trying to shit on everything because this is my new home and I do love it.

But it's missing. I think there could be a lot more like independent cool, and you should eat like boutique places, if that makes sense. Like more. Like James More, yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. So maybe if I was sick or long enough, I mean, like I always wear this. I'm like this one.

I'm like, I feel like why have anyone here in Spain? I'm like, well, I mean, I've thought about it for years. And it's definitely not off the table. It's nowhere close anytime soon.

But like I think that I would like to bring everything that I learned from like Waterloo and in Toronto, and then like maybe eventually do something tiny here. Oh, interesting. Good for you. Don't do it.

Honestly, it's fucking brutal. But that would be a cool story if you did do it. And honestly, of course, if you ever get to the point where you decided to do that, give me a call, and I can tell you all the things I fucked up. It's been super awesome seeing you and talking to you again.

And we're so happy to do it so well out there. And you're having fun. And you still look 14. Thanks.

But no, for real. But thanks so much for doing the show. This is very great, catch up. Super fun, guys.

I love you. Thank you. Nice talk. Yeah.