Rob Feenie is out of a job, but not down for the count.
Last week, Canada's Iron Chef terminated his relationship with Lumière and Feenie's restaurants, citing breaches of his employment contract by the majority owners, David and Manjy Sidoo.
Next week, he will face off against his Lumière successor, chef de cuisine Dale MacKay, at a culinary competition in Vancouver.
Mr. Feenie says he will be competing as an independent chef at the Gold Medal Plates Canadian Culinary Championships, a fundraising event in support of Olympic and Paralympic athletes.
Mr. MacKay, the Gordon Ramsay protégé who was hired last August, will be representing Lumière at the event, to be held at The Westin Bayshore hotel on Wednesday.
In the meantime, Mr. Feenie and his lawyer are planning to contest a non-compete clause in his employment contract that could limit his ability to open a new restaurant.
"Mr. Sidoo had indicated that he intends to enforce any such provisions," said Mr. Feenie's lawyer, Randy Kaardal.
"In our view, the clauses are unenforceable because they are overly broad and contrary to public policy. People are entitled to work and pursue their calling. Obviously, Mr. Feenie needs to earn a living."
Mr. Feenie, who is still a minority shareholder of Lumière, said he can continue to consult and cater.
"I'm on my way to do a private party right now," he said on Monday.
Mr. Sidoo, meanwhile, says he is not at liberty to discuss the details of Mr. Feenie's employment contract and he has not decided if he will re-brand Feenie's.
"This is so new to [Mr. Sidoo and his wife], we haven't thought that far ahead," he said yesterday, adding he was "disappointed" with how Mr. Feenie has decided to play out their troubles in the media.
"We were trying to stay quiet about it. It's certainly not in our interest to terminate Rob after investing several million dollars in him," Mr. Sidoo said.
"Our main concern right now is with the staff and making sure we keep pushing the same high standards at both restaurants," said Mr. Sidoo, who will be attending an important International Relais & Châteaux conference in Washington at the end of this month.
Relais & Châteaux is a global group of individually owned and operated luxury hotels and restaurants known for its extremely strict admission standards. Membership is expensive, but inspections are conducted anonymously.
In 2000, Lumière became Canada's first freestanding restaurant to receive the Relais Gourmand designation. An ongoing association could be crucial to Lumière's continued success.
Bill Bennett, the association's Canadian president, says a change of ownership or chef does not automatically mean a member loses its status.
"We have inspections that go on all the time," he said. "If the establishment maintains the standards we expect, then the relationship continues."
He points to Blackberry Farm in Tennessee and Woodlands Resort & Inn in South Carolina as two examples of members that have recently gone through equally monumental changes yet retained their memberships.
Still, Mr. Bennett says he is concerned about the situation at Lumière.
"Are you concerned when your friends go through a divorce? Of course you are. You're concerned for both sides."
