From working in a restaurant to owning one is a big challenge, and having the whole thing filmed to air on television is a different challenge all together but it is what the new owners of the Burrow have had to deal with as they prepare for their opening in Garibaldi Estates.
Amy Huddle and Seleena Shourie first met each other while working at the LaBrasserie in Whistler Village seven years ago, but it wasn't until recently that the women started to discuss the idea of owning their own restaurant.
"We have been in the business for so many years," said Huddle. "We joked about it and imagined what it would be like to have our own restaurant."
They originally thought their business idea would work in Whistler but when several of their friends moved to 樱桃视频and Shourie herself bought a home in town they decided they might go south instead.
"With the expense of working in Whistler and so many of our friends moving here, 樱桃视频was the perfect place," said Shourie, who will manage the front house (and whose business card reads "Ringmaster").
"It is so beautiful here and there is an air of excitement surrounding the town right now."
Soon after, they found their location in the Spectacle building on Tantalus Road and began constructing its interior, Huddle applied on the Food Network Canada website to a casting call to appear on the show Opening Soon, for people opening restaurants.
"They loved her idea," she said. "They were looking for a business that was opening where the 2010 Olympics were being held and they decided to do ours."
Since then the television crews have visited the restaurant as it is being constructed three times and will visit them twice more; 24 hours before they open and the day of the opening.
"They get excited when anything goes wrong," said Huddle who will be in charge of the kitchen side of the restaurant and whose business card reads, "mastermind". "We have had issues with the plumbing but the biggest hassle so far has been waiting for our liquor license."
The lateness of the licence has delayed the opening of the restaurant.
"We will open in August," said Huddle. "Maybe early, middle or late, but we will open in August [because] we are just waiting on the license."
Working at the LaBrasserie, Shourie also met her boyfriend, Jamie Pierotti, who will be the bar manager of the new restaurant (his business card reads "Instigator.") Right now he is working with Huddle's boyfriend Fabio Moscatelli and the two girls to construct the business.
The two couples said their network of friends helped to inspire the cozy, yet sexy atmosphere of the restaurant.
"We wanted to have a place where people could sit together and be sexy." We wanted to bring a little sexy to Squamish. Everyone needs a little sexy," said Shourie. "It's going to be fun. We are going to have live music and theme nights."
The girls describe the food as tapas style with small and large items.
Huddle said the concept behind the food, served until midnight, was fresh.
The menu also has an extensive drink and martini list with many beverages named after their friends.
"All of the drinks are made with fresh juices with really inventive garnishes," said Shourie. "That is Jamie [Pierotti]'s thing. He loves mixing drinks. It will be familiar things with a twist."
The Opening Soon episode featuring the restaurant will air six to eight weeks after the final filming of their first night of business this fall.
