The club on British Columbia’s North Island reopened The Sandtrap restaurant within two weeks of the fire, while still fulfilling all banquet and event bookings. The club’s staff said it learned a valuable lesson from the fire, which was caused after kitchen cloths that had been cleaned in residential washing machines then combusted in a hot dryer, because the washing machines weren’t powerful enough to fully remove cooking oils and commercial detergents from the cloths.
The staff at The Sandtrap restaurant at the Campbell River (B.C.) Golf & Country Club is looking at the small kitchen fire that it experienced at the end of February as it would a rainstorm, finding the silver lining and charging ahead, the Campbell River Mirror reported.
The restaurant reopened on March 10th, within two week of the fire, the Mirror reported..“We are proud of our impressive time line of re-opening within two weeks of the fire,” said General Manager Amanda Raleigh. “In the time the restaurant was closed, we accommodated and fulfilled all of our banquet and event bookings. We made sure that none of our clients were put out.”
The fast turnaround, Raleigh added, came about in larger part because of the club’s vertical integration within Broadstreet Properties, which is owned by the same family as the club, and between the two organizations.
“Projects like this normally take a lot longer to resolve,” Raleigh told the Mirror. “But our strong, efficient team got us back up and running ASAP, while incorporating a few improvements!”
The fire was caused by neatly folded, clean kitchen cloths and the little known fact that using olive oil, residential laundry machines and commercial detergents creates a dangerous combination, the Mirror reported. Residential washing machines don’t have the power to fully remove cooking oils and commercial detergents from materials, and when those cloths are then put in a hot dryer, it’s a recipe for combustion.
“It’s happened to multiple other business and even homes around town,” Raleigh told the Mirror. “It’s something we need to address as an industry and we’re looking forward to working with the fire chief to create awareness about the problem.”
The restaurant reopened on March 10th for dinner service, the Mirror reported, and is now continuing with the same operating hours as previously scheduled, serving guests Tuesday to Sunday for breakfast, lunch and dinner, starting at 7:00 a.m.
The fire helped Raleigh and her team decide on the next step for the country club, the Mirror reported.
“It has been a bit uncertain with the plan for the current clubhouse,” Raleigh said. “We’ve been debating if we should close it and just use our new driving range building or run both operations. The fire has helped us solidify the decision.”
Campbell River’s restaurant and banquet rooms will now stay open through all of 2018, the Mirror reported. The casual and family-friendly restaurant will continue to serve its diverse and creative menu, using fresh and local ingredients. And the multiple event spaces are available to reserve into 2019 for meetings, workshops, parties and gatherings.
With a kitchen and bar on site, different-sized rooms, flexible configurations and up-to-date technology, Raleigh feels that the club is now positioned to be responsive to just about any need and budget.
“We’ve been really surprised by how popular our banquet spaces are,” she said. “We’ve hosted everything from intimate weddings to ‘lunch and learns’ and physicians’ workshops. We’re glad we can continue to provide this service for the community.”
Outside on the golf course, the fire had no impact, Greg Austin, Campbell River’s Course Superintendent, told the Mirror. As soon as the ground is warm enough, grass seed will be laid, the last step in a reworking of all 18 holes.
“It’s a totally new golf course,” Austin said. “You won’t recognize it. Every hole plays differently.”
The course will open when the grass is properly established on all 18 holes, which Austin figures will be late spring or early summer.
There’s a similar timeline on the driving range, the Mirror reported. Campbell River G&CC is awaiting final building permits to begin construction on an unique space that combines a sports bar lounge and Toptracer technology, turning the practice area into an entertainment event.
Using radar, the technology tracks the ball and swing, allowing anyone to virtually “play” different courses and compete against friends in a fun and social environment. When it opens, it will be the first driving range of its kind in Canada.
“It’s going to be an exciting, new opportunity for Campbell River and tourists visiting the North Island,” Raleigh said.
The Mirror reported that Campbell River G&CC is also working on a new website that is set to launch by the end of March. Mobile-friendly and full of information, it will make it easy to keep up with everything that’s happening currently at the property, in addition to highlighting the nearly 60-year history of golfing at the course and the vision of the Mailman family, which owns the property, for the future of the game.
“There’s a really strong tradition of golf in Campbell River,” Raleigh said. “As someone with deeps roots in this community, the chance to bring something totally new to town is what makes this project so intriguing for me.”
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