Richmond-based Boston Pizza International Inc. plans to open its first two downtown Vancouver restaurants in the next month – first on October 15, at 808 Beatty Street near Terry Fox Plaza, and then on November 15, at the northeast corner of Hornby and Smithe streets.
A third downtown Vancouver restaurant will open next year if a location can be found, Boston Pizza executive vice-president of operations and development, Alan Howie, told Business in Vancouver October 8.
“These two restaurants will be in a slightly different design pattern so we’re excited about it,” said Howie, who was recently promoted to his new job from the position of regional vice-president for Western Canada.
“The one we’re opening at Terry Fox Plaza will have the largest TV in Western Canada – a 291-inch HD curved projection screen to make sports viewing really great.”
Greek immigrant Gus Agiortis, curiously, founded Boston Pizza in Edmonton. Agiortis who liked the sound of the name Boston Pizza and thought the name had a positive connotation given winning sports teams in Beantown.
Current owners Jim Treliving (of Dragon’s Den fame) and George Melville are both based in B.C. and sometimes go to the company’s 120-employee Richmond office although the company’s executive team works out of its Mississauga office, Howie said.
The new downtown Vancouver stores will give the company 62 locations in British Columbia and 360 in Canada. Boston Pizza has been in expansion mode, opening 15 restaurants this year. Four of those are in B.C. – the downtown Vancouver ones as well as one in Smithers and one in Golden.
“We’re still true to our demographic,” Howie said. “We’re very much a family-friendly restaurant chain and we operate both in the family realm and we like our sports bar guests.”
