Kelowna’s newest restaurant is welcoming patrons for dinner.
Erica Jane is located at the base of the One Water Street towers, offering an elevated dining experience for everyone in the Okanagan.
Chris Pooli, CEO of affiliate Kelly and Carlos O’Bryans restaurants, says it’s taken more time than expected to finally open the doors.
“Our first official date was May… of 2022, and then we got pushed to September, and then January, and now we’re into March.”
Although construction started in December 2021, Pooli says the delays were caused mainly by the engineering of the closed patio.
The closed patio features two tree-like concrete and metal structures holding up the roof, complete with small hanging lights to represent the stars.
The restaurant is a vision of the late Reg Henry, founder of the O’Bryans chain, who passed away the same month construction started.
The name, Erica Jane, is a tribute to his daughter who died of cancer years earlier.
“He always wanted to open up a nicer restaurant in Kelowna, so when the opportunity came around he jumped all over it.”
Although the restaurant has features of fine dining, Pooli says they won’t be leaving people out of the experience.
“We’re not going for high end. We’re calling ourselves elevated Okanagan dining. We don’t want to be the stuffy place where you have to have a dress code to come in. We understand we are in the Okanagan and summer in the Okanagan people are going to come in shorts and t-shirts and that’s fine.”
Pooli says they don’t expect every guest to want to sit down and have a three-course meal.
Erica Jane has been open for dining since March 3 but hosts its official grand opening by invite on March 15.
The restaurant is still looking to hire, expecting to have about 90 employees during the peak of summer.
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