The neighbourhood was in mutiny mode after Willow's Galley was taken over and they completely lowered the quality. Now, a fellow who had his first job at Willow's Galley in the old days bought the business and Jim, Richard, and I can attest to the quality of the product....even better than the original if that is possible. Wonderful halibut and chips....a must try for locals who were missing it.
Richard in front of one of his favourite childhood haunts.
Story in the Oak Bay News:
Published: March 08, 2012 7:00 AM
Not too many people can say they own the place that gave them their first job. But that’s exactly the case for David Higgins.
Higgins reopened the Willows Galley in Estevan Village late last year, completing a circle nearly 30 years in the making.
It’s the very same restaurant where a 12-year-old
Higgins was once hired by original owner Glen Harper. In keeping with a
tried and true restaurant tradition, he started at the bottom and
worked his way up.
“I started out peeling the potatoes and doing the
dishes and cleaning up afterwards,” said Higgins, now 39. “Then in the
summertime Glen trained me on the grill and everything else. By the time
I was done here, I had pretty well done everything and learned
everything.”
Higgins ended up spending four years at the restaurant, and the experience left an indelible mark.
“Glen and Willows Galley were definitely the one that planted the seed for me to become a chef and go into cooking,” he said.
After learning the ropes as a teenager working at
the Galley, Higgins went on to complete his chef’s apprenticeship at
the Victoria Golf Club. He subsequently worked in a number of kitchens
around the Capital Region, including stints at the Oak Bay Beach Hotel
and Government House. When the opportunity arose to purchase the
Willows, he jumped at the chance.
“I think that’s what everybody works towards,
having their own business or working for themselves, and this one
especially because I worked here when I was 12 and it’s got a lot of
meaning to me,” Higgins said.
“It feels like being back home.”
And that’s how he wants his customers to feel.
There have been two other owners since Harper retired a few years ago –
though he still owns the building – and Higgins wanted to make sure the
menu reflected the restaurant’s roots. He has removed a few of the more
recent additions to the menu and gone back to the staples like fish and
chips and seafood chowder that put the restaurant on the map when it
first opened in 1978.
“I just want it to be Willows Galley, the way it
used to be when Glen had it,” Higgins said. “The feedback has been great
because of that. Basically I just want to keep the tradition going.”
Since the grand reopening last Dec. 10, business
has been great, Higgins said. He attributes that success to the quality
of the food and the restaurant’s neighbourhood atmosphere.
“When I worked here before, (people) always referred to Willows Galley as the
Cheers’ kind of atmosphere, where everybody knows your name,” he said. “That’s the way I want to keep it.”
