Bertossi Group Constructing New Restaurant With Stunning View Of Halifax Waterfront
HALIFAX — The Bertossi Group, known for owning such classic Halifax restaurants like The Bicycle Thief, have announced they are opening a fifth establishment in 2023. The new, 7,000 square-foot restaurant will be featured on Southwest Properties’ Cunard location along the Halifax waterfront. And it’s going to have quite a view of the city’s harbour.
“We will have the most unobstructed view of this beautiful harbour we have,” said Bertossi Group owner Hakan Uluer, with obvious enthusiasm. “And I think it’s unparallel to what anywhere has to offer. So, we are very privileged to live in a city that has such a beautiful waterfront.”
“George’s Island, the whole harbour, unobstructed view- I mean, you can’t beat that, really.”
Southwest Properties and the Bertossi Group have a long history together as landlord and tenant. Two of the group’s restaurants, The Bicycle Thief and Ristorante a Mano are located at South West’s Bishop’s Landing.
“The project (at Cunard) is fantastic; great location-it checked all the boxes we’re looking for,” said Uluer. “When fantastic projects like this come along, it just fits in. So, it was a natural fit for us. And with the landlord-he’s a fantastic landlord; we have an amazing relationship, and it wasn’t very difficult to make a decision.”
“It is going to be the crown jewel of the city I believe.”
Despite already owning four restaurants, Uluer is eagerly anticipating the arrival of his fifth. He compared the feeling to that of a parent with a newborn child. But like trying to name a newborn, Uluer is still going back and forth on what to name the new restaurant; he has narrowed it down to three choices (which he is not revealing for now).
Even though the project is two years away from being completed, Uluer has a good idea of how the restaurant will look. It will have two bars- one inside the restaurant and one out on the 4,000 square-foot patio.
The patio itself will have a heating system which will allow it to be opened year-round. Uluer believes the pandemic has made people appreciate the outdoors more, which means patios will be essential to the restaurant experience going forward.
“It’s a new world; after the pandemic, everything is going to be changed, right?” muses Uluer.
Given the prime location and size of the restaurant, the Bertossi Group is prepared to spend a lot of money on this new restaurant. The increased cost of building materials and construction doesn’t help in reducing costs either.
“It is a couple of years away, but all I can say is quality is not cheap,” says Uluer. “We build our restaurants to last long-term. It definitely won’t be cheap. We do everything by care, we pay attention to every detail.”
“All I can tell you, with the increase in the materials and building and etcetera, it definitely will not be cheap. But hey, as I said, it’s a long-term investment-it’s well worth it.”
As for the menu, Uluer wants the restaurant to showcase the freshest seafood available as well as local, seasonal vegetables. He also wants the atmosphere to represent Nova Scotian hospitality and kindness.
“It’s going to be a fun place…and it’s always going to feel ‘come as you are’,” he said.
“What we’re really proud of with our restaurant group is the hospitality. We welcome our guests with open arms and this restaurant is going to carry on the same culture.”
For Uluer this new project reinforces the pride and gratitude he has in his business and in being a resident of Halifax.
“I’m such a privileged business owner; I work with amazing people, because it’s never a one-man show,” he says.
“I live on the waterfront; I work on the waterfront nonstop at the restaurants and it’s breathtaking. We are so lucky to have this waterfront for sure.”
To read more stories like this in Huddle, sign up to receive our free daily newsletter.