Garfinkel’s fans, you can rest assured your favourite hang out is here to stay. Ignore those pesky new dress code or shirt-and-tie lies; and those closing down or club revamp rumours, it’s still the same old Garf’s.
New managing partners Dave Kershaw and Derek Pink plan to keep the club just how it is.
"Why mess with something that works perfectly fine?" said Kershaw. "The great thing about Garf’s, and one of the reasons it’s so popular is because you can wear whatever you like. Who in Whistler owns a tie anyway?" he laughed.
Kershaw and Pink bring extensive experience to the Garf’s name. They own Vancouver’s Stone Temple, the O Bar and are about to open Tonic on Granville Street. Garfinkel’s is their first foray into the wonderful world of Whistler nightlife. Kershaw said the opportunity arose when licensee and owner Mitch Garfinkel asked them if they were interested in leasing the property.
"Mitch told us it was hard to run the club from his main home in Florida and that he was interested in maximizing his profit potential by changing management. We structured a deal that involved an extendable five-year lease, came in five weeks ago, kept most of the staff who wanted to stay and plan to remain the busiest bar in town," he said.
So there you have it club kids, straight from the horse’s mouth.
