By Ali Siemens (The Cascade) – Email
Date Posted: September 19, 2011
Print Edition: September 14, 2011
What used to be known as Casey’s Restaurant and Lounge has officially changed names and changed managers. The new manager Brad Ross has revamped the campus restaurant – now known as AfterMath Social House – and is looking to make some changes. As posted on the Student Union Society website, the new lounge declares: “We offer good food, good fun, [and] good atmosphere whether you are eating, drinking, chilling or studying.”
Communications Administrator Jhim Burwell says the change from Casey’s to AfterMath is “about enhancing the student lifestyle.” Walking through the new restaurant, it is easy to detect the new décor and obvious menu recreation. The walls have a new coat of paint, there is a Canucks decal on the wall, and a UFV Cascades logo adorns the space above the two chairs that will seat video and radio commentators for CIVL during home games. The restaurant is open and inviting, something that is important to the people involved in the creation of AfterMath.
It appears as though Burwell and Ross are on the same page regarding the new campus hangout. In an interview with Ross, he described his hopes for “a place where people can come hang out, do their homework if they have to, get a beverage, and get some good cheap food.”
In order to ensure all follows through as planned, AfterMath will require a manager with experience. Ross has been working in the Food and Beverage industry since he was 16; he has managed casinos, nightclubs, pubs and bars all over the world, including Vancouver, Calgary, Los Angeles and Osaka. In the four weeks Ross has had to prepare AfterMath he took care of the major issues first, which included cleanliness and reestablishing both the liquor and food licenses.
Although these were the important issues behind the scenes, students were curious about whether or not pub nights would be reintroduced. Ross explained that because Casey’s liquor license was revoked before, they will have to be a little bit more careful. “We will have a few pub nights, but they will be sponsored by clubs and associations on campus – we won’t be jeopardizing our liquor license by doing it on our own.”
Ross also shared his vision of opening up another pub in the future. “I’m in the process of applying for the new building, in G, which could be a fully licensed pub. The only way we can get that liquor primary license is to piggyback off of our existing food primary license, so if we do something wrong with this license, it jeopardizes the chance of opening up a new pub.”
Ross has a clear business plan for the year, which is to essentially bring a fun atmosphere to the students. Burwell noted that – with the first week of the new semester now behind us – he already sees AfterMath as, “a more energetic, a more energized, [and] a more enthusiastic place to be.”
At the end of the month, Ross will bring in a new beer that is designed for a student pub atmosphere. And with the introduction of new menu items such as the “Ridonkuliss Burger” – which replaces the hamburger bun with grilled cheese sandwiches – the new student lounge just may fit the bill for what it aspires to be: a place to hang out.
