Restauranteur Sal Howell
Through 25 years of debilitating busts and bountiful booms, restaurateur Sal Howell has kept serving elegant dishes at Calgary's River Café.
She's a veteran in the Canadian restaurant industry, one who promoted sustainability and local food supply before those values were fashionable (her current menu features pork rib chops and duck breasts from nearby farms). Last month, Howell was recognized as one of only two Canadian finalists in the Women Chefs and Restaurateurs' Women Who Inspire Awards, which will be awarded in April.
She is also getting ready to open a new restaurant this summer in one of the city's most historic homes: the Deane House, built in 1906, is part of the Fort Calgary site in Inglewood, Calgary's oldest neighbourhood.
It takes sharp business acumen to keep a restaurant open for 25 years, especially in a city like Calgary. Does the recession worry you?
It's definitely having an impact. I feel very fortunate that we have been around for a while because it means that perhaps we're not as financially vulnerable as a new place that's opened with a significant debt burden, though I'm about to join that camp with our new restaurant. We always worry a little bit about being lost or forgotten among the new and shiny, but we don't change anything dramatically. We just try to do what we do better, focus on our food and service, and be very mindful of our costs.
River Café was an early adopter of green waste disposal systems and programs like Ocean Wise, which promotes sustainable fishing practices. How important is upholding those environmental values while also watching costs?
Focusing on what matters helps us make decisions along the way. That's been the selective process – sustainability has been a decision-making tool in everything we do. And sustainability at the River Café has been environmental, but it's also been social and economic. They're all intertwined and that includes supporting our local producers and food economy. And we are in turn supported by the community.
Diners have to walk across a foot bridge to reach the River Café on Prince's Island, and Boxwood is on the grounds of Central Memorial Park. Deane House will open in a restored historic home. How integral are these settings to the restaurants?
I didn't set out looking for a location for a restaurant, the availability of the park setting inspired making something happen there. We're very focused on our local terroir and what it means to dine in this part of the world and what the natural elements are. There is romanticism to that.
I never tire of how beautiful it is to have this very special place on an island, in the middle of [the Bow River], in the middle of the city. And you actually have to leave your car quite far away and walk there. It's pretty special.
You've been nominated for an award by the Women Chefs and Restaurateurs. What does it mean to you to be recognized not only as a successful business person, but also as a leader for other women?
My first thought when I heard about the WCR was – and this is terrible – 'Why do we need an association for women?' Because I'd never felt like I needed one. It's actually been a very good thing for me to appreciate that being a woman is an obstacle in our industry. I just was oblivious to that – my dad taught me that I could grow up to do anything I wanted to do and I believed him.
I do see that nomination as a bit of an obligation or a call to action to make a difference. Some of the feedback I've been getting is that just doing what I do is enough, but I'm mindful of young women starting out in the industry. I'm mindful to take a little bit more time to get to know them and encourage them and help nurture the confidence that they need.
This interview has been edited and condensed.