THUNDER BAY -- The city's soon-to-be waterfront restaraunt has been revealed, and residents could get a taste before Christmas.
City officials announced Wednesday that the locally owned Bight will be the restaurant located inside the Water Garden Pavilion next to the splash pad. Bight will be a full service restaurant offering seating for 90 in the main area, 45 on the seasonal patio as well as room for a reception area in the Mariner’s Hall.
The restaurant will also offer a variety of drinks including brews from the Sleeping Giant Brewery.
The term Bight means a curve or recess in a coastline, river, or other geographical feature.
Co-owner Jeannie Dubois said they chose the name because they wanted it to reflect the scenic beauty.
Now that the planning phase is complete the restaurateurs can focus their efforts on construction. The restaurant stills needs a kitchen followed by some decorations. Dubois said they want to give the feeling of the outdoors while sitting inside and the restaurant will have a Scandinavian style.
During the construction phase, the public section of the restaurant will be closed to the public.
But in terms of food, Dubois said they are going to be focusing their efforts on keeping the restaurant as local as possible.
“We’re really looking to farm to table type of cuisine,” Dubois said. “It’s a little bit progressive for Thunder Bay, which we’re excited about. We’re excited about a lot of the trends out in the larger world in food and would like to try some of them here but at the same time provide food that’s comfortable for people as well.”
She said the restaurant will provide 35 new jobs and they will be holding a job fair on Oct. 13 from noon to 3 p.m. and on Oct. 15 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
She also added that they hoped to have the restaurant open before Christmas but will have the concession open by mid-November.
Head chief Chris Groenheide said his signature dishes will be dry-aged steaks that isn't common in the city yet.
“We made the menu modern North American,” Groenheide said. “That means it has strong roots in French cooking.
"To be in Thunder Bay and to cook in Thunder Bay you have to have those classics like the steak and potatoes, the fish and chips, the burgers and fries. I wrote the menu so we’d have that but with a new age twist. People can still have what they want but still have something new.”
Mark Bentz, chairman of the Waterfront Development Committee, said he was happy to hear that Bight was the restaurant especially following the announcement that Delta Hotels will be the hotelier.
He said people have been waiting to go for a bite to eat down at the waterfront for a long time.
“I can hardly wait myself,” Bentz said. “To be able to sit on our waterfront at long last and have a good meal I think many citizens have thought of that and now it’s finally here. It’s a happy day for us.”
Bentz said Bight went through a tendering process but didn't know how many went for the spot at Prince Arthur’s Landing.
