Panic! at the Pop-up

Reporting on somebody reporting somebody.

In my article on the The Aurora Club, I wrote the following: “In a province that often has a ‘who's-your-fadder’ attitude to new things, the Club deserves some credit for their immediate success.”

This news kinda proves my point. - JRS

You can trust a cook to play with fire. 

The Aurora Club, the pandemic pop-up from newcomers Julian Barnes (chef) and Hilary Dautner (manager), took substantial risks in running a restaurant out of their home – not to mention, being so public about it on social media. That wager paid off, however: The Club quickly acquired a following, regularly selling out seats, garnered attention in the media and landed a deal to open a brick-and-mortar business in July.

Success, of course, always inspires a variety of reactions. In mid-January, someone(s) reported the Club to the authorities; officers showed up and threatened to shut them down. “I know they would come eventually,” Barnes tells me, admitting that he was determined to continue serving customers regardless. In the days that followed, he and Dautner navigated the network of municipal and provincial business bureaucracy. The case wasn’t clear cut, as the Club operated in a gray area. 

Relief came from one of their new business partners, who offered them a private section of The Salt House on Water Street. So, like many of us, the Club has moved out of the house and back into the office. They will continue working in that space until the new restaurant opens.

In any case, you can judge the Club, or whoever reported them, however you wish: Hate the player, or hate the game. What matters to the diner, of course, is not the drama, but what’s for dinner – in that regard, the Club provided a breath of fresh air. Not only because the at-home experience proved exciting and the food was phenomenal – it was – but consider this: Walk into many of the buzzy restaurants in St. John’s and you’ll encounter some version of the same menu: a casual, wide-ranging selection of safe bets. A burger, a steak, a plate of pasta, a take on a taco, etc. For my part, I welcome the change – and the competition. 

And, clearly, the market does as well.