Bowman’s on Bank

by Michael Abbey

For me, chatting with Peter West at Bowman’s on Bank was a walk down memory lane. The moment I laid eyes on him, it all started coming back. Readers are no doubt familiar with the location on the corner of Clarey Avenue, the former home of Mexicali Rosa’s, a very popular Tex-Mex restaurant from 1979 to 2013. The establishment has had a facelift since those days, with the disappearance of the few parking spots and the enclosing of the patio.

“Why the Glebe?” was at the top of my list of questions. Said West, “When they were winding down Mexicali Rosa’s, I was interested in the space. It just wasn’t meant to be at the time so we found a spot on Carling.” The Carling location opened in December 2013.

West grew up in the Maritimes, but it was Ottawa’s Mexicali Rosa’s that brought his family to town. They had a stop in between in Fredericton, N.B. It’s been 26 years since they came to Ottawa, settling at Bronson and McLeod.

The family has been in the restaurant business for two generations, so Bowman’s was a natural. His mother started Stoneface Dolly’s when it was located at Bronson and McLeod. When I pointed out how intriguing that name is, West explained, “It’s my grandmother.” In return for getting to use the car during the school week (he was a member of the class of ’96 at Glebe), West was responsible for many trips to pick up supplies at Tannis on Catherine St.

West and his wife Christina are the owners of Bowman’s. “She thought I was crazy for opening a second one. We were not thinking of another location.” When they took over the Bank location in November 2018, it was next to turnkey. The inside needed no immediate attention as the major renos had been handled by the tenant after Mexi’s closed. “The previous owner spent a lot of money,” said West. “It’s configured a little differently than what I would have done in terms of lanes and alleys for serving and stuff like that.”

I found the decor comfortable and pleasing with lots of wood and soft colours. It is bright throughout the establishment, a soothing feeling especially on our short winter days.

The Wests have an affinity for the Glebe and are looking forward to ongoing bonding with regular clientele, like the successes they have experienced on Carling. “I want to be integrated with the community, the people who can walk here and enjoy it as a nice casual place to come.”

They have had contact with the Glebe BIA, a handful of their board members in particular. I asked West about attracting the crowd from Glebe Collegiate even though they are a 15-minute hike away. “I try to be really inclusive and we have $5 off the burgers on Wednesdays.”

Bowman’s puts a lot of TLC into their food, staying away from frozen. The slogan “Familiar Food Done Well – upscale pub food without being pretentious,” is supported by the offerings on the menu and their attractive price points. Bowman’s has the BYOW (Bring Your Own Wine) endorsement which, I, for one, find attractive. They waive the $15 corkage fee on Sundays and have $15 pitchers on Thursdays.

West is committed to buying local as much as possible. “I bought the rib eyes at the Glebe Meat Market for our Christmas party.” With groceries from Falsetto Fine Foods, a provider he is pleased to do business with, one cannot get more local. He is committed to establishing good relationships with people, both clientele and suppliers.

West’s message to me was twofold: “I want to emphasize our food is delicious and our draught is all local from very close surrounding areas. We want the customer experience to be great every time.” His mature and experienced staff is the secret sauce to pulling that off and attracting repeat business.

Working with Dan Smith, the executive chef, West said, “We expect to do a revamp for both restaurants… we have been thinking of some new things, maybe something like sliders and Salisbury steak.”

I experienced a double case of déjà vu when chatting with West. The first was my familiarity with the location. My second involved the way he discussed the restaurant as if I was already a member of their regular clientele on my first visit.

Michael Abbey is a retired high-tech professional and bridge enthusiast who writes about business for the Glebe Report. He can be reached at abbey.fenderpbs@gmail.com.