Honest Lawyer

[panamaniac]

Honest Laywer
www.honestlawyer.com

Coming Soon To 305 King Street West, Kitchener

http://profile.ak.fbcdn.net/hprofile-ak-ash2/49305_1085305282_2203_n.jpg

[panamaniac]

From 570 News:

The restaurant chain Honest Lawyer will be opening a new location inside the ground floor of the Macpherson building at King and Water Streets. They bill themselves as "a mix of bar, restaurant and a lot of entertainment".

Operations Manager Renee Roth tells 570 News there was a specific reason they chose the City of Kitchener because they've been watching the downtown development for quite some time and have been impressed with the direction the core has taken and they wanted to be a part of it.

Roth says it'll be their sixth location in the Ontario and once complete, the ground floor of the building will be completely re-vamped and include a massive patio on both sides the building.

Development is expected to start early in 2012 with a grand opening expected in the mid-to-late spring.

[Waterlooer]

I am not sure if anyone had posted this before but here: http://www.570news.com/news/local/article/303348--honest-lawyer


Operations Manager Renee Roth tells 570 News there was a specific reason they chose the City of Kitchener because they've been watching the downtown development for quite some time and have been impressed with the direction the core has taken and they wanted to be a part of it.

[markster]

"The Macpherson building", for those who don't know the proper name of every property in town, is the big cubic glass office tower on the west end of Downtown. It used to be the location of Desire2Learn, and many moons ago had a green "TD" sign at the top (since changed). It's going to be really fascinating to see the ground floor converted to an open patio setup.

Street View (http://maps.google.ca/maps?q=King+and+Water+Street,+kitchener&hl=en&ll=43.45172,-80.494506&spn=0.001427,0.002663&safe=off&client=firefox-a&hnear=King+St+W+%26+Water+St+N,+Kitchener,+Waterlo o+Regional+Municipality,+Ontario&gl=ca&t=h&z=19&vpsrc=6&layer=c&cbll=43.45172,-80.494506&panoid=E2LOIfv01pPG2wIs_BpSkg&cbp=12,249,,0,-15.14)

[panamaniac]

aka the Waterloo Trust tower, if you're old enough to remember.

[RangersFan]

That is more good news for Downtown. I like the fact that this will fill the retail space of the Macpherson building, hopefully bringing more nightlife to Downtown.

The Honest Lawyer in London was pretty decent, they are pretty well known for their wing night there. However I would likely choose a number of other places in KW over their London location (for wings).

[KWrealestate]

Awesome, I love the Honest Lawyer. I used to go to the one in London quite often when I lived there. It had a two lane bowling alley, billards and good night life not to mention great 1/2 price apps during happy hour :)

[WaterlooNative]

Awesome, I love the Honest Lawyer. I used to go to the one in London quite often when I lived there. It had a two lane bowling alley, billards and good night life not to mention great 1/2 price apps during happy hour :)
I believe the building was also Waterloo Region's first "sky scraper". (I only go back as far as the Canada Trust sign). The 570 crew didn't have to go far for this news as I believe their studio is upstairs. Great patio potential.

[panamaniac]

If by "sky scraper", you mean a building of more than 6 or 7 stories, I believe you may be right, and certainly for an office building.

[BigCityBoy]

If by "sky scraper", you mean a building of more than 6 or 7 stories, I believe you may be right, and certainly for an office building.

hehehe - 'skyscraper' - that is funny.

[DowntownRetail]

"The MacPherson Building" has been rebranded and is now known as 305 King West. They launched a new website earlier this year http://www.305king.com and have been making renovations to the building. The addition of The Honest Lawyer to Downtown Kitchener is very exciting.

[panamaniac]

I've always been particularly fond of this building - going back to my Waterloo Trust "penny bank" days. At nearly 50 years old, it has aged very well.

[UrbanWaterloo]

The building permit...

PERMIT IS TO RENOVATE AN EXISTING OFFICE TO RESTAURANT, THE HONEST LAWYER.
Permit No 11132308
Site Address 305 KING ST W
Status Issued
Permit Category Non-Residential Alteration
Permit Type Commercial
Application Date November 22, 2011
Issued By JULIET
Issue Date December 27, 2011
Work Proposed Interior Finish
Construction Value $277,000
Contractor GREG SANDWELL :SANDWELL CONTRACTING
Contractor Contact Info 300 LAURENTIAN BLVD VAUGHN ON L6A 2V3 phone 416-816-1920

[UrbanWaterloo]

The liquor licence with floor plan...

LIQUOR LICENCE REVIEW APPLICATION – THE HONEST LAWYER RESTAURANTAINMENT – 305 KING STREET WEST
DATE OF REPORT: December 23, 2011 | DATE OF MEETING: January 9, 2012
PREPARED BY: Patricia Harris, Manager of Licensing, 2854
SUBMITTED BY: Liquor Licensing Review Committee
REPORT TO: Finance and Corporate Services Committee
REPORT NO.: FCS-12-003 (http://icalendar.esolutionsgroup.ca/Public/GetDocument.ashx?DocumentId=b33e6149-3503-47a9-891a-34636ce491fb&IsShare=True)

RECOMMENDATION:

That subject to the applicant entering into an agreement with the City including certainconditions of operating a licensed establishment as set out below, that Council take noaction to oppose the application for a liquor licence for 2306776 Ontario Inc. operating asThe Honest Lawyer Restaurantainment located at 305 King Street West (herein referredto as the “Applicant”) and further

That the Mayor and Clerk be authorized to enter into an agreement with the applicantshould they be willing wherein the applicant agrees to abide by the following conditionsand to request they be added to their licence if the Alcohol and Gaming Commission ofOntario chooses to issue the licence:


to post in a conspicuous place and abide by the Downtown Licensed EstablishmentsCode of Conduct;
to become an active member of the Downtown Kitchener Business Improvement Area’s License and Entertainment Committee and attend its meetings;
to abide by a set 50% monthly ratio of alcohol sales to gross refreshment sales (including food and other sundries) in other words alcohol sales will be limited to 50% of gross refreshment sales;
to stop serving alcohol by 2:00 a.m. daily;
to notify the Clerk of the City of Kitchener in writing of any application to change the license at the time the application for the change is made to the Alcohol and Gaming Commission, and not to expand the establishment without the consent of the City Council;
to comply with the Noise By-law and the Region of Waterloo Smoking By-law; and
these conditions shall bind all successors, assigns and subsequent licence holders (if any)


BACKGROUND:

In accordance with the Council resolution of April 19, 1999, all applicants for liquor licenses in the downtown are to be notified of Council’s policy regarding their application and requested to complete an information form. The Liquor License Application Review Committee (LLARC) which is comprised of City staff and a representative of the Downtown Kitchener Business Improvement Area (DKBIA), reviews this information form and makes a recommendation to Council as to whether or not the application is contrary to public interest.

REPORT:

This report deals with a liquor licence application for a restaurant referred to as The Honest Lawyer Restaurantainment located at 305 King Street West.

LIQUOR LICENCE APPLICATION REVIEW COMMITTEE (LLARC) COMMENTS:

The LLARC reviewed the information supplied by the applicant, together with other information available with respect to each of the eight criteria set out in the resolution passed by Council April 19, 1999.

a) The owner’s and/or operator’s performance record, including by-law violations, building/health code infractions and liquor offences

The applicant currently owns and operates four other establishments in Ontario. They are located in Ottawa, Windsor, Richmond Hill and Hamilton. There are no records of by-law infractions, building/health code violations or liquor offences. The applicant has applied for a Class A Place of Refreshment, Class A Place of Amusement, Class B Amusement Arcade and a Billiard Parlour licence for the establishment.

b) The proximity of the premises to other licensed establishments

There are five licensed establishments in close proximity to the establishment. They are: Slices – 300 King St. W., Dallas – 312 King St. W., Lucky’s Wings – 320 King St. W., Pho 95 Vietnamese Family Restaurant – 323 King St. W. and McCabes – 352 King St. W.

c) The proximity of the premises to other uses such as existing dwelling units

There are residential uses at 276 King Street West and 338 King Street West which are within a block of the establishment.

d) The size of the premises – occupant load and floor area

The establishment is 8,400 square feet. It is known that a portion of this area applied to the location of the tables, kitchen area, washrooms, bar, etc. A sketch of the floor plan, as requested in the City’s liquor licence application is attached. The occupancy load that was provided is 310 persons (interior) and 130 persons (exterior).

e) The ratio of liquor sales to gross sales

The applicant anticipates the percentage of liquor sales as a percentage of gross sales to be 50%.

f) The proportion of the premises dedicated to ancillary entertainment

The applicant has indicated that the establishment will be operated Monday to Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 a.m.

g) Any other comments the Committee considered relevant

None


ALIGNMENT WITH CITY OF KITCHENER STRATEGIC PLAN:

Community Priority – Dynamic Downtown

The Liquor Licence Review Committee (LLARC) is in place to review all establishments that propose to sell liquor in the Downtown Core. This allows Council to then review and provide comments regarding the establishment to the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) in order to continue to provide a safe and dynamic downtown core.


FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS:

None

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT:

Inform – A copy of the report will be provided to the Applicant prior to the Council Committee meeting date.

Consult – Property owners immediately adjacent to 305 King Street West were verbally consulted by the KDBIA and Downtown Development staff – of those consulted, there were no concerns.


Floor Plan

http://wonderfulwaterloo.com/wdrive/Food/Downtown%20Kitchener/FCS-12-003%20-%20Liquor%20Licence%20Review%20Application%20-%20Honest%20Laywer%20-%20Floor%20Plan.jpg

[Greg Moore]

They are not really going to have a bowling lane are they?

[mutantlog]

They are not really going to have a bowling lane are they?

I presume that they would have one of the small two lane setups like a Highway 66 (http://www.qubicaamf.com/en-US/Products/Mini-Bowling/Highway66.aspx) or something similar. I don't know if Philthy McNasty's still has theirs, but they had something similar back in the day when they opened.

[bcwessel]

The one at Philty's only lasted for about a year, because it was rarely used (mostly due to it being a gimmicky waste of space), if I'm remembering correctly.

[KevinL]

I love the way the whole place just wraps around the building entrance/elevator lobby. Inspired!

[WaterlooNative]

A great place to watch the parades. I wonder how they plan to deal with the winds that can whip down King Street.

[metropolis]

From The Record (http://www.therecord.com/news/local/article/657183--councillors-wary-downtown-kitchener-bar-scene-could-deteriorate)

Councillors wary downtown Kitchener bar scene could deteriorate
KITCHENER — The approval of another downtown restaurant-bar has sparked calls for a big-picture review of the types of licensed establishments in the core to ensure the city does not have thousands of drunks on King Street at closing time.
Coun. Berry Vrbanovic called for the review after city councillors approved plans for a bar-restaurant-patio at 305 King St. W. The Honest Lawyer restaurant is being designed for 310 people and the patio for 130. It will be on the main floor of the commercial building at King and Francis streets.
When The Honest Lawyer opens for business, there will be five licensed establishments along King Street between Water and Francis streets. In all the downtown, there are now about 9,000 seats in restaurants, bars and clubs.
Vrbanovic said now is the time to make sure there are a variety of places attracting different age groups rather than a lot of large-capacity clubs and bars catering to young people and students.
In the mid-1990s, there were about 18,000 licensed seats in the downtown. King Street was jammed with drunks at closing time, and policing costs soared.
“You can imagine some of the challenges that came with that — fights breaking out, drunkenness — it got pretty bad at times,” Vrbanovic said in an interview.
“While we want to encourage a lively entertainment district, I think we also want to make sure it is a healthy mix of small places and larger places and varied kinds of food, not just a bar scene,” Vrbanovic said.
Vrbanovic said Guelph, Hamilton, London and Toronto have all dealt with similar challenges, and Kitchener should adopt the best practices from those cities. “We want to make sure we manage it at the front end so we don’t return to some of the problems that we had in the past.”
In 1999, the City of Kitchener started the liquor licence application review committee that includes city staffers from licensing, economic development, the legal department and the Kitchener Downtown Business Improvement Association.
That group does a good job, but its work does not currently ensure there is a variety of bars, restaurants and clubs in the downtown, Vrbanovic said.
Vrbanovic is supported by Coun. Frank Etherington, who remembers the days when King Street was packed with unruly drunks every Friday and Saturday night at closing time.
“I think it is a good idea to take another look at that,” Etherington said.
Part of the city’s economic development strategy calls for a more lively downtown, but that does not have to mean a return to the mid-1990s, Etherington said.
He represents a large swath of the downtown south of King Street, and supports the city’s ongoing efforts to bring more people to the city centre to live, work and play.
“There is a vast difference among types of bars — some you wouldn’t go to and some you would go to,” Etherington said.
The Honest Lawyer is an upscale pub-restaurant with operations in Ottawa, Windsor, Richmond Hill and Hamilton. A city staff report says there are no records of bylaw infractions, building or health code violations or liquor offences in those cities.
The Hamilton operation replaced urinals after complaints about the original ones that were shaped like an open mouth.

[rob_929]

Signs are up and there's lots of work going on at this site. Should be a great addition to downtown :)


From The Record (http://www.therecord.com/news/local/article/657183--councillors-wary-downtown-kitchener-bar-scene-could-deteriorate)

[mpd618]

Signs are up and there's lots of work going on at this site. Should be a great addition to downtown :)

And not just the regular signs, but also a sign at the top of the entire office tower. I'm not sure I've ever seen a restaurant advertised quite like that.

[Greg Moore]

And not just the regular signs, but also a sign at the top of the entire office tower. I'm not sure I've ever seen a restaurant advertised quite like that.I've never seen an honest lawyer. :RpS_biggrin:

[panamaniac]

I've never seen an honest lawyer. :RpS_biggrin: Ba dum BAH! Cue the lawyer jokes!

[markster]

Some interesting progress. Work on the patio is well underway, and the sign is on the building.

1054

And when I say "on the building", boy do I mean it:

1053

I heard a couple years ago from some friends at Desire2Learn, that they once looked at the price of putting their logo up on this building back when they were a major tenant, and the price scared them away. Either that's changed, or HL has a lot of cash to burn.

[KevinL]

Just Tweeted:

‏ @HLKitchener (https://twitter.com/#!/HLKitchener)
Getting our team ready for soft open Friday The 13TH. Spread the honest word!!

[KWrealestate]

Has anyone tried the Honest Lawyer out? I find the online menu vague. Not sure what the Happy Hour offerings are. They should also list live entertainment (if they have any). Not much info onlilne for a new restaurant.


Some interesting progress. Work on the patio is well underway, and the sign is on the building.

1054

And when I say "on the building", boy do I mean it:

1053

I heard a couple years ago from some friends at Desire2Learn, that they once looked at the price of putting their logo up on this building back when they were a major tenant, and the price scared them away. Either that's changed, or HL has a lot of cash to burn.

[KevinL]

I find the online menu vague. Not sure what the Happy Hour offerings are. They should also list live entertainment (if they have any). Not much info onlilne for a new restaurant.

They're still in their 'soft launch' period, pre-grand opening. I imagine once they have a settled menu and schedule, the site will improve.

[The Comeback Kid]

I've been there several times now. The happy hour could be the only one in the city... $4 pints of Mill St.? Yes please. The food is absolutely typical... but the games are fun, if you like that sort of thing. Personally, I love plowing through beer and waves virtual zombies at the same time!

[Newgrad]

They're still in their 'soft launch' period, pre-grand opening. I imagine once they have a settled menu and schedule, the site will improve.

I don't think the website is necessarily going to get any better. The site is the corporate (for lack of a better term) restaurant website. It isn't exclusive to Kitchener so presumably it has been up for a while because it is used for all their other locations too.