New Year's Day @ the Watershed Bar and Grill

The new year is off to a sunny start here in Vancouver, and after the rush and festive panic of Christmas I find myself in a somewhat quiet and thoughful headspace.  While I'm typically not one for lofty goals or new year's resolutions, nor posting online every detail of my meagre existance - really, do your several hundred Facebook "friends" need to know you're eating a ham sandwich right this very minute?? - I have decided that I should blog more.  More importantly, I should give thanks and credit to a job well done that would otherwise go unnoticed, and use my tiny online voice to promote businesses and causes I support.

A short jaunt up the highway yesterday took me to Brackendale, a town near Squamish.  It was a scenic drive there and seemed a worthwhile destination to watch the annual Eagle Count along the river.  What else would we do on a day when many/most businesses are closed? What wasn't closed was the Watershed Bar and Grill (41101 Government Rd, Brackendale BC, (604) 898-6665), which was very busy feeding the masses coming in from the cold off the eagle-viewing dykes.  Our waitress informed us that they were one of the few businesses open New Year's Day, and were also understaffed.  I had been to the Watershed before and recall I was impressed, and now reminded again as she apologized for the wait and gave us our beers on the house.  Surprised again when she took off an additional 30% from our shared appy for having to wait for the bill.  It was no trouble as we were seated already in the heated enclosed patio enjoying the view.  Having little business sense myself I feel this was a thoughtful gesture but an unnecessary expense for them - any other pub in Vancouver could've made us wait for food and drink, then taken our money and ushered us out quickly to make room for more paying customers, and tough luck if we don't like being processed like cattle. 

So there is customer service, and thus my thanks, and generous tip, and continued promotion and loyalty whenever I'm up that way again.