New Saskatoon restaurant looking to defy the odds

There is no shortage of industries that have forever changed due to the global COVID-19 pandemic.

The hospitality industry has faced numerous challenges with many restaurants across the world shutting down, including many in Saskatchewan.

Bill Barlas isn’t just looking to defy the odds with a new establishment in Saskatoon. The owner of Filosophi is looking to thrive.

“I’m crazy, but I’m definitely not crazy for doing this,” Barlas said. “I want everyone to experience a good local restaurant with the best dining experience possible.”

The West Coast-inspired restaurant opened its doors late last month in a space previously occupied by Alexander’s Restaurant and Bar across the street from the University of Saskatchewan.

Barlas said discussions to open a new restaurant started immediately after he discovered Alexander’s wouldn’t be reopening after the arrival of COVID-19 put much of the province into a lockdown.

Six months ago, Barlas carried on with plans to open the restaurant despite plenty of hurdles along the way.

From safety concerns to finding tradespeople and navigating every possible delay, Barlas was determined to get to opening day.

“It was hard to find some trades because people were not willing to take the chance of working. There was always a delay because of COVID,” he said. “I took the chance because I believe in Saskatoon as a community.”

Working in the industry and operating a restaurant for more than 30 years before opening Filosophi prepared Barlas for all of the possible successes and failures of his new venture. It also gave him valuable experience to lean on when carefully planning each stage of opening.

“I was going into it knowing that COVID and the pandemic was around. I knew there was a light at the end of the tunnel at some point, so we took our time to build it right,” he said.

Strong local support over the past year is essential to Barlas’ enthusiasm.

With supporting local businesses becoming a central theme in 2020, Barlas is hoping to continue riding that wave of support in 2021.

“I’ve been in the business for over 30 years and I’ve never experienced such a support in local business,” he said.

Barlas is unusually optimistic about his prospects as dozens of restaurants close around him, something he credits to his Greek heritage and the difficult-to-translate word meraki.

“Meraki is a Greek word for love and passion for what I do,” Barlas said.

“I do this because I have love for the industry. I have passion for cooking good food and looking after people — each and every person that comes through my doors.”