After over 35 years in the game, a Canadian chain has gotten a new name, branding, and menu to kick off a fresh chapter in the business.
Moxies started in Calgary in 1986 and soon expanded to become a familiar player in the Canadian "family restaurant" scene. In the early 2000s the chain revamped and took on a more "premium casual" vibe, but the company has just unveiled a major rebrand. They've dropped the apostrophe and the "Bar & Grill" portion of their name, settling on just Moxies, and have a more polished, modern logo and brand identity to go with the shake-up.
To demonstrate what the future holds for the chain, Moxies will open up three renovated Canadian locations in the next year and three brand-new U.S. locations, all sporting an updated restaurant interior design. While the Kelowna location is set to see the first re-launch in November, that debut will be followed soon after in February 2023 by the Vancouver location downtown at the Sandman Hotel (180 W Georgia St).
Ultimately, however, all of the over 50 Canadian and U.S. Moxies restaurants will get a glow up. "All locations will be renovated and will include new design elements such as local artwork, clean architectural features, contemporary furniture and an enhanced bar area," describes the company in a media release.
When it comes to food, the Moxies menu has a lot of comfort dishes still, like nachos and wings on the appetizer side, with mains like steaks, power bowls, burgers, ribs, and pasta. It's not totally clear just what has changed in the kitchen, though there is a new emphasis on seasonality. "Every detail of every dish has been carefully considered to give you an epic food experience. Every time," pledges the company its "Delicious is in the details" campaign.
While it's not a new dish, Moxies is touting the Tuna Sushi Stack for the fall (it's been around since at least last year; those more familiar with the brand can send angry emails) and overall seems to be giving off a vibe of looking to give the ol' Cactus Club a run for its money.
One change Metro Vancouver guests can peep right off the bat are the new Moxies server uniforms, which are being used at the chain's Langley location (8828 201 St). The outfits were created by Vancouver-based fashion powerhouse Aritzia as part of the restaurant's shift to working with trendy companies (that's why you'll see Kendall Jenner's tequila brand on the menu, for example).
Speaking of the Langley Moxies location, that's one of the chain's three "signature" locations, which means sometimes the menu there will feature items being tested out.
The goal is to create a more modern dining experience, according to Moxies. Will Vancouver customers embrace the changes?
