Why that glass of Okanagan wine is $10
WEST KELOWNA – Neil Martens decided the best way to respond to customers who are ticked-off about the 'high' price of a glass of Okanagan wine in his West Kelowna restaurant was to tell it like it is. In an open letter published on the 19 Okanagan Grill + Bar website, Martens, the owner and operator, explains why.
Here it is, reprinted with permission. Let us know what you think in the comment section.
Dear Valued Guests,
It’s 3 a.m. I am awake and pondering the best way of responding to an upset guest who is “irate” about the price of B.C. wine at 19 Okanagan Grill + Bar. We offer a glass of local wine in the range of 8 to 10 dollars. Recently we are hearing that it’s too expensive for some customers. The answer lies somewhere between an important restaurant philosophy and a condition in today’s society that bothers me.
19 Okanagan is much like many other independent restaurants in the valley. We are driven to support local farmers, winemakers and businesses whose quality first mindset mirrors our own. We believe that spending money within our cities and towns, our regions, our province and neighbouring provinces is a very important part of keeping our “local” economy strong and healthy. We don’t have purchasing directors buying for a multi-unit restaurant company based out of Toronto. We don’t have volume purchasing power like those big box restaurants that are able to buy beef, chicken, wine, produce and more from anywhere and everywhere in the world at lower than Canadian market prices. I have lived in some of those restaurant environments, loved them for what I learned, met some amazingly great people and have fond memories. However, that is simply not the way I want my restaurant to operate, nor does my team of managers, chefs and servers.
We could buy pre-made soups, stocks and sauces and save a small fortune in labour costs. Instead, we choose to hire Red Seal chefs, develop apprentice chefs to aspire to one day be a chef. Rather than paying someone in another country to make soup, Scotty makes it, or Lyndon makes it or Sean makes it, using locally sourced ingredients.
It’s a culture shift. The very fabric of that shift is woven into our core beliefs and philosophy. It defines who we are! We support local farmers like Bellman Farms instead of buying produce from Mexico. We purchase from local meat purveyors like 63 Acres in Armstrong or buy Canadian AAA Alberta beef rather than beef from New Zealand. 19 Okanagan chooses to spend more money, intentionally. We could import chicken from Nicaragua and pork from Peru. The savings per year would be in the thousands of dollars. As a result, we could lower our prices and our standards. But, the glimmer in our eyes and the passion in our hearts would diminish rapidly.
We choose to stock quality local wines and they dominate our wine list. We take pride in knowing the people who grow our grapes, who care and tend to our cattle and those who grow our heirloom vegetables that are so delicious and so unique. All of these people have a story and we love their stories, because they are our friends and neighbours. We also embrace them because the challenges that they face are eerily similar to the challenges we face as an independent restaurant.
Let me say it again. We all compete against huge multinational corporations with the purchasing power allowing them to undercut prices. We all have teams of dedicated people who believe in local and who believe in the importance of local businesses to tourism in the Okanagan Valley, the province and Western Canada.
As I look around at the people I have come to know in Okanagan Valley companies and businesses, they aren’t driving fancy automobiles, living extravagantly or travelling extensively. They work long cruel hours sacrificing precious family time. They all have one thing in common. They take immense pride in what they do.
The challenges are many and complex. BC wineries face a shorter growing season and less sunlight than California, Chile or Australia. Our geography dramatically impacts yield and lower yield per acre means the cost per ounce of wine increases. Much the same can be said about the produce, fruit and meat we source locally. We also have many more layers of taxation than our global competitors. How else could New Zealand beef travel for many, many hours to get to Canada in refrigerated shipping containers, and then be so much cheaper than the beef we get from Armstrong, Cache Creek or Alberta.
So why do we as a restaurant buy the more expensive local wines, the pricier local spirits, the costlier local craft beers, the much more expensive local beef, produce and fruit? The answer is simple. We believe that giving our guests the best that the Okanagan and BC has to offer, will earn us the ultimate reward of customer loyalty and repeat business. And we believe in the futures of our neighbours and friends.
What bothers me the most is our societies alarming need to associate best with least expensive or quality with cheap. It’s confusing! People come from all over the world to sample and buy Okanagan Wines. Are they more expensive? Yes! BC wine is usually much more expensive than competing international wines. Would 19 Okanagan make more profit on a wine from Australia? Absolutely! Could we sell it for less and still make more money? Sadly, yes we could.
The alternative to spending your dining dollars with us or another independent restaurant with a local first philosophy is to take your business to a chain restaurant down the street. The wealthy CEO of a huge corporation in Toronto, Australia or Mexico won’t notice, but the winery owner in Naramata or the farmer in Oliver certainly will. If we’re not careful and loyal, one or more of those BC wineries, local independent restaurants and farmer/producers will go out of business. All over a couple of dollars saved on your bill.
Thanks for reading,
Neil
To contact the reporter for this story, email Howard Alexander at halexander@infonews.ca or call 250-491-0331. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.
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41 responses
Good on ya. From another business that depends on the local community
Love this restaurant !!Very good dining experience everytime ! Kudos to you and your staff , Neil.
Bravo Neil Martens!
Support LOCAL businesses… support BC wineries!
Fernand, did you think your “point” was so important and relevant that you had to say it twice? It’s off-topic. And tedious.
face it…you could have said all that in just a few sentences…just sayin’.
There are some very good points there, but perhaps it makes sense to give people a choice in their wines.There are some quite acceptable local wines that a restaurant can make good profit on by selling at, say, five or six dollars a glass.Maybe adding those to the wine list would be a good business decision.Let the customer decide.
Great Article, and 100% TRUE…
We are the owners of Indulgent Doggilama – Dog Food Bakery & Boutique and I must say that we 100% agree with this very well written letter & that we follow the same principals and believe in the same ideals. We also shop locally for all of our ingredients. yes it costs us more to shop locally, but we do it for your dogs because we care about your dogs.We are not expensive, we make less profit to stay competitive and to provide local quality to your family dog. We are a very small company who has just started out but quality is a must and we will never change to a less expensive solution as this sacrifices the quality our customers expect for there furry family members.For those that want the best possible quality they will be our customers, for those that think that we are too expensive and choose to go to a less expensive big corporate solution to buy your dogs food and treats, that is your choice, we will be here for those that truly care about their dogs health and wellness for many years to come.What we sell is truly excellent for your dogs Health. No Corn No Soy No Wheat, no gluten, no preservatives. natural and organic. this costs more to provide but truly costs less in the long run when it comes to healthier dogs and smaller vet bills.Kudos to you NEIL fantastic piece of writing to look out for us all whom do business and provide that something extra to Kelowna and the Okanagan.Every person who shops locally, supports local business and economy, this in turn makes our community stronger in the long run to the betterment of all.Rick & Michelle.
it IS crazy and called gouging and I refuse to be had.
too bad that is NOT always true. Do you think that server deservesa $6.50 tip that she was asking for to bring me 2 glasses of draft beer?NO.
what got me was the server that asked me” Do you want your change?”Who deserves a $6.50 tip for bringing two glasses of draft beer. Forget it. It is not that I can’t afford it, I JUST REFUSE to get gouged.
And I thought it was the bc govt taxing the crap out of BC wine
that was a stupid waitress, don’t blame the establishment too much, she should of said….”be back with your change’.
Well said. Supporting our local economy, presenting the best we have to offer make this a destination and an experience that will be remembered and shared.
I disagree with this article for many reasons. First, I guaranty that you can get that same glass of wine in the OK at another pub and grill for less. Heck I can Get a glass of most OK wines down in Vancouver (transported) for less than $10.00. Second, I know the mark-up on liquor and the margin is close to 90% give or take. Most likely the wine in the glass came from a box unless it was poured at the table and had not been previously re-contained in a reused bottle from a box and then labled the house wine. This trick is used by many in the industry and should be not allowed. Inspectors will shut you down. Third, You talk like there are so many restaurants, pubs and grills, within your caliber that are mass chains with all this buying power to get better pricing, No No, most are just like you, independently owed and operatedpubs and grills just like yours with local employees that sell local and imported foods and wines just like you. Last time I bought local blueberries for example, they were 1.49 a pound of the shelf. In the winter, blueberries imported from Chili were 5.99 a pound. I can prove this over and over that shopping local does not equate expensive. Yes, due to different labor costs and fluctuating market prices around the world, world prices will vary high and low. However, the same goes for here. do your prices reflect the lower summer prices for foods and wines or do these profits just go into your pocket. This is what your customers are complaining about. listen to them. they can close your doors forever. It just bugs me when some hotshot can write a fancy letter and have so many people say how well written it was yet say nothing of relevance to the paying customers who will still be getting ripped off if they order a glass of wine. $10.00 a glass, really, $10.00. It cost him $1.00 so don’t be fooled by his fancy justification. You should be ashamed that you are a crook, instead you are openly justifying it. A dollar saved in their pocket is a dollar they have to come back again to enjoy your establishment.I’m sorry but your are just so wrong with so many ways with your explanations and justification.
I love how the writer couldn’t get two paragraphs without bitching about Toronto…. what is it about B.C…….
You have definitely impressed and educated me. However you and your restaurant might be a bit of an exception. To often “local” business’s of many types, seem to set prices to high and out of whack for the local population. It seems a lot of prices are set for tourists at the expense of locals. My family and I won’t shop downtown because of this. $6 for an ice cream cone, inflated clothing, and restaurants that don’t necessarily follow you mission statement have jaded many locals. Hopefully you are starting something progressive, you can lead by example.
Amen! I have a small store at Big White and I only carry Canadian made. Is it more expensive than Walmart … yes. Is it more pleasurable to shop in my store than Walmart … I like to think so. You’ll see me at your restaurant, as long as you continue to support local!
Sorry, I know that restaurants make most of their money from liquor and wine sales but this is a bit much. I can’t remember the last time I bought an Okanagan wine. It’s Australia all the way for me.
As the owner of a small, local business, I too buy locally whenever possible. I honor your accountability & commitment to quality
And that’s the reality of the situation! Support your local markets.
Amazing answer. I’ve been preaching the same thing at the pub I currently work at who thinks our product is quality… I think everyone just needs to wake the heck up and realize that you get what you pay for.
the facr is…I cant afford to go out and order a bottle of wine anymore…I will have one glass and my budget is done. Id rather go home and drink a nice bottle with friends. I used to love to go out and share a bottle of wine….
Perfectly articulated!
Neil, this is so classy and I support you all the way.It’s always an excellent experience at 19 which is why I come and tell others who are new this is the place to go in West Kelowna.I hope whoever was irate was able to read this reasoning and understand how hard you work to support our local community.Thank you!
Brilliant! Well said Neil. 19 is my favorite restaurant and we always bring our guests there. Keep up the fantastic work!
Great letter justifying the cost of quality. Unfortunately, I just can’t afford it anymore.
I like your article, I have never been to your restaurant, but keeping it LOCAL I hope you hire local people in keeping with your beliefs, makes a lot of sense.I will try your restaurant the next time I visit Kelowna.
You forgot to mention the horrendous amount of tax imposed by the government on liquor in this province.
Dining at 19 has always been a wonderful experience. Staff, food, drinks, setting and ambiance are simply superb! Neil, you and your team have always made it very special so hats off to you for years of enjoyment and a toast to all the years to come!
I’m sure the crazy BC taxes can be blamed for some of those costs,
Excellent answer Neil…
Bravo!!I totally agree with the above letter.I also support the local farmers markets, and although they may be a bit more expensive, at least I know my products are fresh and I am supporting local farmers and small businesses….
Stay committed to your philosophy. Those who want cheap food, cheap labour etc should move to China. I commend you for what you are doing
When quality is chosen over volume, the customer wins in the long run and the community thrives. Money spent locally is spent and re-spent many times over.
Well said Neil! You’re still my favorite place do dine no matter what time of day when I’m in the Okanagan. J. Scott
Well that is a good story but there is more to this than the “quality” of wine & food.Apres golf one afternoon last year we decided what the heck, we might as well go in and have a beer.So we ordered 2 “draft beers”. I believe the bill was $13.50?Anyways I give the waitress a $20 and she says” Do you want your change?”Are you kidding me? She wanted a $6.50 TIP on 2 draft beers?We did this once but never again. Thank you.
So true, hang in there! Quality and honesty go hand in hand and outlast the pretenders.
Well said and bravo.
Very well written letter!