another new year...

so here were are... the start of year 5.

who'd have thunk we'd get this far?!? it's exhilarating, frightening, amazing & a little bittersweet all at once.

4 years of our lives we've poured into this place... it's costs us a lot in material things and emotional energy... we lost our house, we've had some REALLY big fights, we've cried a lot, and suffered from many symptoms of stress... but when it comes right down to it... we've loved almost every minute.

Well, i should qualify that... I have loved a lot of it. Ian has loved a little less of it... the house part in articular. But we can't blame the bistro for that, really... that was poor financial decison-making combined with pride, ego & fear... however, if we didn't have the bistro, we wouldn't have had to make that decision.

All those things said, here we are at the start of year 5... by some measures, that is the defining year for a small business... if we can make it thru this one, we might be home free!

So, we're counting on our fabulous friends & customers to help us get there.

We need your input, your ideas, your bums in our seats... your friends bums in our seats... we need and want your feedback - good or bad - to help us improve and continue to provide you with what we believe to be excellent food, great service and a comfortable, relaxed and fun atmosphere where everyone feels welcome and connected.

There will be more changes coming - this is a never ending work-in-progress...
The lunch menu will shortly get an overhaul - it hasn't changed in over 2 years... either in content or in prices, so it's due...
The dinner menu will continue to be refined while we test out new things...
The bar menu will continue to evolve while we figure out what you like to drink...
Sadly, our staff will be making some changes as our younger ones move on to new adventures - we love our staff, have we mentioned that enough times?? they are awesome and absolutely make wild what it is... but we'd never keep them from their dreams and goals, so we must let them fly as they wish, however, we will find new faces to fill their spaces and hope that you'll welcome them with open arms.

We need some help... we're seeking a financial partner of sorts. No hard cash investment, just a signature on a line... if that's something you think you could entertain, come talk to us and we'll give you the lowdown.

Bonar continues to find and book AMAZING music for our stage. There are SO MANY great acts coming up (check out the calendar www.wildbistro.com/liveatwild for current listings), and we couldn't possibly do it without him. If you're an amazing act and would like to play here, contact Bonar today! (bonar@wildbistro.com)

We're still thinking about summer hours... not sure WHAT the best thing to do is... got an opinion on that?

We celebrated our 4th birthday in big style with a fantastic party at the Gibsons Legion Hall... amazing music - Deanna Cartea, Carnival Era & The Colorifics - a great time was had by all, and now that we've all recovered, it's time to get busy making year number 5 the best yet.

See you soon!

what's the buzz...

you know that old saying, that it took 24 years to become an overnight sensation??

that's kind of how we're feeling.
almost 4 years now - and it still amazes me when someone comes in and says "i never knew you were here!" I also know we're not the only business on the coast that goes through this phenomena...

the coast is NOT that big...
how is it that we don't all know about what's going on here?

i'm curious to know how YOU find out what's going on or where to go for things you need... do you read the Coast Reporter, the Local, Sunstream, Just Business, Coast Life? do you check the ads in Good Morning Sunshine? Do you listen to CKAY or CVUE? do you rely on Duane Burnett's blog? do you check the Coast Reporter's new site that sometimes has breaking news? do you use the Coast Cultural Alliance's calendar? what about SuncoastCentral.com or BigPacific.com??

do you seek out posters, and check the stacks of handbills at various checkouts all over town? do you ask friends? study facebook & twitter? focus only on the people you know and do what they do??

it's a conundrum for us, as business owners. HOW do we get our word out without wasting money... is WHAT we say as important as WHERE we say it? do you respond more to pictures than words? how much information do you NEED to make a buying decision? What DON'T you want to know? What will make you try something new - do you wait for everyone else to try it first? do you decide by price? location? logo colours? philosophy? proximity to other things you need?

your insights & opinion... and suggestions... are very welcome and encouraged... we need to know!