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Cheakamus restaurant deal falls apart at last minute

The Whistler 2010 Sport Legacies Society needs to focus on catering to amateur athletes not serving dinner and drinks.

The Whistler 2010 Sport Legacies Society needs to focus on catering to amateur athletes not serving dinner and drinks.

That's why, at the last minute, it has backed out of the restaurant deal at Cheakamus Crossing, leaving the municipality with an empty commercial space to fill.

On closer examination of the business case, the profit margin, said Whistler 2010 Sport Legacies Society (WLS) president Keith Bennett, is not as high as they hoped it would be, even with a $300,000 municipal contribution for renovations to the space.

"It became risky for us," said a disappointed Bennett.

"We've had to refocus on our key target and how do we service athletes best, which is what we're there to do."

The athletes, he said, were not interested in buying meals at a local restaurant, preferring instead to make meals themselves.

"It's not because they want to," said Bennett. "They can't afford to do anything else."

WLS was set to be in a partnership with the Bearfoot Bistro.

It's not clear now if WLS will move ahead with a self-serve kitchen in the athletes' lodge. It will now be doing a feasibility analysis of the space.

Stay tuned to the Pique for more information.