Chancey's Has a new Owner

SteelbackGuy · Post by **SteelbackGuy** » Sat May 15, 2010 11:06 am

http://www.lfpress.com/news/london/2010 ... 56701.html

I've known for a while now, but was not able to talk about, but now it is publis so here is the story.

Hopefully the new owner will only change the food menu, and allow Milos to continue doing what he does best. Fingers crossed!

AJ Brown · Post by **AJ Brown** » Sat May 15, 2010 2:27 pm

+1

I think having Chancey's serve sucky beer would pretty much ruin my life.

GregClow · Post by **GregClow** » Sat May 15, 2010 4:43 pm

These bits in the article would concern me if I were a regular at Chancey's:

Rajakariar owns and manages an Eggspectation restaurant in Toronto.

He plans to add more pastas and even an Indian or Asian dish to the menu, balancing the steak and seafood staples — much like Moxie’s, Rajakariar said.

So the owner's main experience is running a mediocre chain restaurant, and he wants to make it more like another mediocre chain restaurant? Not promising...

midlife crisis · Post by **midlife crisis** » Sat May 15, 2010 5:56 pm

Yeah, only time will tell, but the Moxie's reference really jumped out for me too. I didn't, on the other hand, see anything along the lines of "Chanceys has built a reputation in the past year as the best beer bar in London, and we plan to build on that". I have family in London and go into Chanceys a few times per year so I'm hoping for the best, but fearing a return to mediocre offerings.

AJ Brown · Post by **AJ Brown** » Sat May 15, 2010 7:40 pm

Hey, Steelback, any word on what the new owner thinks about the beer business and whether Milos is going to stay on?

SteelbackGuy · Post by **SteelbackGuy** » Sat May 15, 2010 8:04 pm

AJ Brown wrote:Hey, Steelback, any word on what the new owner thinks about the beer business and whether Milos is going to stay on?

I don't rightly know.
We're hoping that the new guy will see the value in the fact that bar business has essentially doubled since Milos started bringing in different beers. It is now a destination, not only for people in the city, but people are now coming from all over just to go there for beer. Hopefully he allows that part to stay the same, while changing the menu. Which, by the way, I'd be ok with. The menu there needs some overhauling. Llarry is a very talented chef, but the regular stuff is pretty safe and tame. Though I suspect he's been given that mandate to cater to the JLC crowd.

Anyway, next time you're in, ask to see the new owner and tell him how much you appreciate what they are doing with the beer, and aleo let him know that if the beer goes, so does your business.

cratez · Post by **cratez** » Sun May 16, 2010 12:04 am

SteelbackGuy wrote: Tell (the owner) how much you appreciate what (Chancey's is) doing with the beer, and also let him know that if the beer goes, so does your business.

This is exactly what I intend to do. Chancey's is not just a beer gem in London, it's a destination in Ontario. The article is scarily out of touch when it says the restaurant "suffers from an identity crisis." A full house every Thursday-Saturday, packed dinner seatings from 5-7pm, and daily business from beer lovers hardly qualifies as a crisis. Chancey's is a Chicago-style steakhouse that serves kick-ass beer, top-notch wine, and good mix drinks with a shit load of tasty grilled dishes. THAT is the restaurant's definitive identity. Granted, the food menu could improve somewhat, and I welcome such a change. But the craft beer selection, and its constant expansion, must stay. Also, I like how the photos and paintings in Chancey's chronicle the history of London, and the decor is second-to-none in the city. I'm sure other Londoners and Bar Towelers will agree with me when I say that, other than 'improving' the food menu, the owner shouldn't change a thing!

SteelbackGuy · Post by **SteelbackGuy** » Sun May 16, 2010 1:02 am

cratez wrote:
SteelbackGuy wrote: Tell (the owner) how much you appreciate what (Chancey's is) doing with the beer, and also let him know that if the beer goes, so does your business.
This is exactly what I intend to do. Chancey's is not just a beer gem in London, it's a destination in Ontario. The article is scarily out of touch when it says the restaurant "suffers from an identity crisis." A full house every Thursday-Saturday, packed dinner seatings from 5-7pm, and daily business from beer lovers hardly qualifies as a crisis. Chancey's is a Chicago-style steakhouse that serves kick-ass beer, top-notch wine, and good mix drinks with a shit load of tasty grilled dishes. THAT is the restaurant's definitive identity. Granted, the food menu could improve somewhat, and I welcome such a change. But the craft beer selection, and its constant expansion, must stay. Also, I like how the photos and paintings in Chancey's chronicle the history of London, and the decor is second-to-none in the city. I'm sure other Londoners and Bar Towelers will agree with me when I say that, other than 'improving' the food menu, the owner shouldn't change a thing!

Well said Mike.
Now if only the new owner will adhere to this recipe.

pootz · Post by **pootz** » Sun May 16, 2010 10:51 am

Time to contacy Gord Ramsay ...there's a "kitchen nightmares' episode here to be filmed.

I tend to concur with Greg, The new owner seems to be the one with the identity problem. Chancey's fits the whole Covent Garden Market area culture to a 'T'. Upscale but not pretentious...and Milos' real beer bistro ideas were brining people in from outside London...it was indeed a destination.

This new owner's talk of 'Moxies' scares the hell out of me. If there's one thing the craft beer and culinary world does not need it's another sceptic, characterless mediocre 'Cheers’ clone restaurant/bar.

If Chancey’s goes sterile, the local foamheads will go into mourning….Len maybe you could stage a mock funeral/wake outside Chancey’s if deep sixes Milos and the beer bistro theme?

SteelbackGuy · Post by **SteelbackGuy** » Sun May 16, 2010 11:08 am

pootz wrote:Time to contacy Gord Ramsay ...there's a "kitchen nightmares' episode here to be filmed.

I tend to concur with Greg, The new owner seems to be the one with the identity problem. Chancey's fits the whole Covent Garden Market area culture to a 'T'. Upscale but not pretentious...and Milos' real beer bistro ideas were brining people in from outside London...it was indeed a destination.

This new owner's talk of 'Moxies' scares the hell out of me. If there's one thing the craft beer and culinary world does not need it's another sceptic, characterless mediocre 'Cheers’ clone restaurant/bar.

If Chancey’s goes sterile, the local foamheads will go into mourning….Len maybe you could stage a mock funeral/wake outside Chancey’s if deep sixes Milos and the beer bistro theme?

I will Dave, believe me.

But I am remaining positive and I also know that if by chance they decide not to continue on their path, someone else will scoop up Milos and his services almost immediately.

pootz · Post by **pootz** » Sun May 16, 2010 11:56 am

SteelbackGuy wrote:
pootz wrote:Time to contacy Gord Ramsay ...there's a "kitchen nightmares' episode here to be filmed.

I tend to concur with Greg, The new owner seems to be the one with the identity problem. Chancey's fits the whole Covent Garden Market area culture to a 'T'. Upscale but not pretentious...and Milos' real beer bistro ideas were brining people in from outside London...it was indeed a destination.

This new owner's talk of 'Moxies' scares the hell out of me. If there's one thing the craft beer and culinary world does not need it's another sceptic, characterless mediocre 'Cheers’ clone restaurant/bar.

If Chancey’s goes sterile, the local foamheads will go into mourning….Len maybe you could stage a mock funeral/wake outside Chancey’s if deep sixes Milos and the beer bistro theme?

I will Dave, believe me.

But I am remaining positive and I also know that if by chance they decide not to continue on their path, someone else will scoop up Milos and his services almost immediately.

I'm hoping for the best out come as well as I have really taken to Chancey's since Milos has opened up the tap handles to good beer. He's a top flight beer concierge and I often wondered if he could do better elsewhere. I'm certain there are investors who will redily fill the market vacuum left by Chancey's if the new owner torches the beer bistro side of the business.

Flood · Post by **Flood** » Mon May 17, 2010 12:02 pm

We're still being kept in the dark about all of this... Personally I have yet to meet the new owner myself, and I've worked several shifts in the last week or so.

However, if any of you are in for a visit and the new owner is around, please drop him a line about how you enjoy and appreciate the beer culture being fostered at Chancey Smiths. Hopefully, the more he hears it from patrons, the more willing he will be to continue our ever-growing beer selection.

tuqueboy · Post by **tuqueboy** » Mon May 24, 2010 7:13 pm

Flood wrote:We're still being kept in the dark about all of this... Personally I have yet to meet the new owner myself, and I've worked several shifts in the last week or so.

However, if any of you are in for a visit and the new owner is around, please drop him a line about how you enjoy and appreciate the beer culture being fostered at Chancey Smiths. Hopefully, the more he hears it from patrons, the more willing he will be to continue our ever-growing beer selection.

I've got a great appreciation for what Milos has done with Chancey, but I've got to ask the rhetorical question. If it were such a stunning business success in its current form, would it have been sold? Just saying...

SteelbackGuy · Post by **SteelbackGuy** » Mon May 24, 2010 7:30 pm

tuqueboy wrote:
Flood wrote:We're still being kept in the dark about all of this... Personally I have yet to meet the new owner myself, and I've worked several shifts in the last week or so.

However, if any of you are in for a visit and the new owner is around, please drop him a line about how you enjoy and appreciate the beer culture being fostered at Chancey Smiths. Hopefully, the more he hears it from patrons, the more willing he will be to continue our ever-growing beer selection.
I've got a great appreciation for what Milos has done with Chancey, but I've got to ask the rhetorical question. If it were such a stunning business success in its current form, would it have been sold? Just saying...

Yes, it would have. Mike Smith is beginning his retirement, and will likely sell most of his restaurants. This is his second sale.

tuqueboy · Post by **tuqueboy** » Mon May 24, 2010 7:33 pm

SteelbackGuy wrote:
tuqueboy wrote: I've got a great appreciation for what Milos has done with Chancey, but I've got to ask the rhetorical question. If it were such a stunning business success in its current form, would it have been sold? Just saying...

Yes, it would have. Mike Smith is beginning his retirement, and will likely sell most of his restaurants. This is his second sale.

Fair enough then. Thanks for clarifying.