Chapter 5

     We did eventually manage to find the money to build The Bushwakker, and it opened its doors in January 1991. We struggled for the first few years, but we gradually learned the things we needed to know about operating a restaurant and brewery from the school of hard knocks, and we survived, then grew, then prospered. In addition to basic business knowledge, I brought my experience from managing a university research group and Elaine brought her background in educational psychology. Popular books on the “new styles of management” at the time we were getting established recommended what we were already doing.

     Our success and our reputation grew. People came to us for help with their own new businesses in the hospitality industry and they still do. We agreed to assist a group headed by Regina’s well-known restaurateur, Fred Soofi, in creating a pub environment to serve people living in Regina’s Cathedral District. That led to the development of what is now known as the Freehouse Restaurant Group.

     We re-established the Ale and Lager Enthusiasts of Saskatchewan and they have moved on to fame and fortune, at least as measured by reputation. The ALES and Bushwakker together host the annual Canadian Amateur Brewing Competition, which is itself the gateway to international competitions for Canadian amateur brewers. ALES wins more awards than any other Canadian amateur brewing club and the second greatest number for any club in North America.

     The City of Regina asked us to create a Business Improvement District in the area in which we operate. Regina’s Old Warehouse Business Improvement District (ROWBID) now promotes new businesses around the Bushwakker, bringing us new customers.

     In 1997 I took early retirement from the University of Regina to devote full time to the Bushwakker and Freehouse restaurant groups. Our son and head brewer, Scott, was seconded several times, by our friend Brad McQuhae, to set up breweries and train brewers for craft breweries in Japan. In 1998 he was hired away from us by a group in Singapore, who had seen his work in Japan. We have been fortunate in finding strong replacements for the position of head brewer since then.

     The Singapore group continues to expand. They are now putting a brewpub into Changi Airport’s new Terminal 3 in Singapore. Elaine is now general manager emeritus of the Bushwakker and our daughter Kelly is the new GM. One of our granddaughters works part time in the office. (We have, on occasion seen three generations of the family working behind the bar during a particularly busy Friday lunch, when everyone joins the fray.)

     We have received numerous awards for our beer, for the creation of ROWBID and for our generation and promotion of a Jazz culture and Jazz bands in Regina. Our serving team regularly wins the gold medal in the reader’s poll conducted by the Prairie Dog magazine, and head server Cheryl wins or ties for the title of top server every year. (Last year she tied with fellow Bushwakker server Jody) Last year we received a total of six reader’s-poll gold medals in the Prairie Dog annual reader’s vote. We have been named in several compilations of top Canadian craft breweries.

     The Bushwakker has been featured on national radio and television programs. (CTV’s segment on our Blackberry Mead and our Firkin Taping ceremony was aired nationally several times over the Christmas period, 2006.) This is being written in a hotel room in Stockholm, where our beer is representing Canadian craft beer at the Stockholm Beer and Whisky Festival, at the request of the Government of Canada.

     Our annual single malt scotch tasting event, our annual lobster dinner, our annual Chilean night, our annual brewer’s dinner, our specialty beer tastings, all sell out weeks in advance. Our newly introduced Mexican Night, featuring a tasting of 100% Agave Tequilas, will do so soon.

     Based on our continued strong sales growth we expect to be around for a long time.