For the past few months, Andrew Latchford has been dreaming of a day on the beach.
Not just any day or any beach. His thoughts were focused on what he hoped would be a beautifully sunny day when the diamond-sparkled waters of English Bay are reflected on the windows of the new jam-packed Cactus Club.
Today (March 2), the director of operations for the Cactus Club is getting half of his dream. When the restaurant opens today at five, it's bound to be filled by both the hungry and the curious, but they'll be shaking off their umbrellas when they enter the Vancouver chain's newest location.
When Cactus Club won the contract from the City of Vancouver to replace the beachside concession stand where Davie, Beach and Denman streets converge, everyone was aware that the entire city feels a sense of ownership of the location. Some would welcome the opportunity to eat at a place with such a beautiful view while others would feel that the very building itself was a view spoiler.
Cactus Club wanted a building that would win over the skeptics, but owner Richard Jaffray also wanted it to reflect Vancouverites' shared commitment to the environment. It's hoped the new location will be one of the first LEED gold-certified restaurants in Canada. The architecture firm of Acton Ostry was given the challenge of creating a building that not only has a small footprint on the beach itself, but also walks lightly when it comes to using the world's energy resources. This provided a few challenges during the design and construction phases but Latchford is confident that it will all be worthwhile when, after a year of putting green practices to the test, the restaurant can apply for certification.
While the large windows on both street and beach side it's definitely not a place for a secret rendezvous create an airiness to the building, the parts that needed to be covered are given a gorgeous finish of triple-glazed red and gold glass or aluminum. At only 5,400 sq.ft., every inch of space is used for something but the restaurant seats a surprising 170 people on the street level and 104 people on the beach level patio. "Upstairs it's very intimate but downstairs you're almost sitting on the sand," Latchford says.
Chef Rob Feenie is slightly diverting from the traditional Cactus Club menu to focus on West Coast seafood specialities, given the waterfront location. Sommelier Sebastian Le Goff is busy sampling the perfect wines to mix and match with Feenie's dishes.
Constance Barnes, chair of the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation Board said in a press release that, the stunning new restaurant on English Bay is an exciting addition to our food service on one of our most popular beaches. We are extremely pleased that the Park Board has the opportunity to work with Cactus Club as they are committed to the community by local hiring of staff, career mentoring and the "good neighbour plan" for the busy West End. This brings an educational component that will benefit youth and all that are able to participate. It is important that we work collaboratively with our new partners to engage the community.
Green features at Cactus Club English Bay include:
A living, energy efficient green roof
An organic herb garden on the second level of the restaurant
Employees will be provided secure bike storage and a private shower and change area
Bike racks will accommodate up to five per cent of customers bicycles at all times
Landscaping will feature water-efficient practices, such as rainwater irrigation.
Restrooms will feature waterless urinals, which reduce water use by 30 per cent
Waste management tactics were employed by the construction team; 75 per cent of materials were salvaged or recycled
At least half of all wood is FSC (Forrest Stewardship Council of Canada) certified
At least 20 per cent of all materials are extracted or manufactured within 800km
A state-of-the-art heating and air conditioning system uses a heat recovery process where excess heat from the kitchen is purified and reused to heat the restaurant
The building process has carefully considered air quality, using low emitting materials, adhesives, paints and sealants
Through its Green Table membership, the restaurant team is committed to composting, green innovation and reducing energy consumption.
