WATCH: A restaurant coming to Victoria is hoping to take advantage of the nearby bike lanes and cater to those on two wheels. Its a twist on the conventional drive-thru called a ride-thru. Luisa Alvarez reports.
It doesn’t look like much right now but come spring, the construction space at the Jawl family building on the corner of Pandora and Douglas will be transformed into an Indian Mexican fusion concept by former Top Chef Canada contestant Kunal Ghose.
The restaurant will have a twist and a new take on your conventional drive-thru. Called a new Cantina Dobasala Ride Thru, it’s looking to cash in on the nearby bike lanes by attracting customers on two wheels with its unique concept.
“Bike lanes are a bit of a controversy in this city. I’m of the frame of mind that I’ve been riding bikes my whole life. Why not embrace it and try and make it work and maybe entice people with my food to come get on their bike and get down here instead of complaining about trying to find parking?” said Ghose.
The ride thru will be for a quick two-minute meal on the go. Cyclists can come up with their bikes and order at the window and then be on their way.
It’s an idea that’s getting mixed reviews among cyclists.
“Yeah, I think that would be something people would be interested in especially a lunch to go or a breakfast to go,” said Bethany Lecorre.
But after cycling for a while outside, some cyclists say a quick meal on the go isn’t something they would be looking for.
“You know, after cycling for a while what I want to do is sit down and relax in a warm place,” said Jarek Gwiazda.
Ghose says you can do that too. The inside of the restaurant will be the Cantina and it will feature a different menu. Bicycle parking will be available outside of the restaurant so anybody can go inside and have a warm sit down meal.
If all continues on schedule with construction, Ghose says its slated to open March of 2018.
Luisa Alvarez
