New Westminster’s loss could be Williams Lake’s gain.
Darren Flintoff, president of the Stonewater Group, said he hasn’t heard from council or city staff about the space in Anvil Centre, since announcing last week that the company needed council’s approval to open a Mr. Mikes Steakhouse Casual restaurant in the facility.
“We are remaining positive,” he said. “We understand council is still considering us. They have asked us to wait, but I can’t wait for a long time so we have reached out to a landlord I’ve spoken to before in Williams Lake. His space is becoming available shortly so I have to pursue that, which would make New West a few years away if council can’t decide soon.”
Mayor Jonathan Cote said the city is looking at a variety of different options as to what the city would like to do with that space, including a restaurant, a non-restaurant option and some kind of civic. Given how important that corner is to the city, he told the Record last week that council wants to “take a pause” and make sure it gets the right type of use in the Anvil Centre space.
“That is encouraging that they still think a restaurant is a good use for that space,” Flintoff said. “I don’t know what the issue is. They are in tough positions and we are going to remain positive that we can be the tenant.”
The Stonewater Group, owned by New Westminster residents Darren and Lindsey Flintoff and Bill and Kelly Ranford, is a franchisee of numerous Mr. Mikes restaurants. Flintoff said the company feels fortunate to have gained “so much community support” for its plan of opening a Mr. Mikes Steakhouse Casual in Anvil Centre.
Anvil Centre opened at 777 Columbia St. in September 2014. The city has long stated it hoped to open a restaurant in the space at the corner of Eighth and Columbia streets
