Together Again
This week we have the entire Zymeta team on location in Calgary, which hasn’t happened since Christmas Party 2004. In traditional Zymeta fashion, the whole gang headed out together to a local establishment for some pub food and beer; tonight’s location was Classic Jacks, which is pretty much next door to our Calgary office.
Classic Jacks is your typical pub, located on 17th Avenue just blocks down from Melrose Cafe, the originator of the ’Red Mile’. Classic Jacks reinvented itself a few years ago, changing to its current name and trying to be different. I think that except for the most successful restaurant/pubs (such as Melrose), this reinvention is part of a repeating cycle that happens every three years or so. Melrose is different in that they are in a constant state of change, continually trying to make the place better than it already is. It’s the better way to go, especially if you are already in a successful state.
I realized tonight that Classic Jacks is going this route now also. Since their dramatic makeover a few years ago, they’ve been slowly making changes to the place, trying to keep it a little bit ahead of what the public wants next. They’ve put in a fireplace increased the number of TVs (thanks to the Flames’ run for the Cup last year) among other things. The most evident change at Classic Jacks though is the staff; all the wait staff are now super ’friendly’ (you can figure out what I mean by that) and have a consistent look. Tonight it was tight peacock blue shirts. I don’t know what the significance of the blue shirts were but from a patron stand point, nothing says professional like staff that are all smartly dressed the same.
The one thing that doesn’t ever change, no matter how hard they try, is that pub food will always be just that; pub food. And tonight it was wings. I’m not sure where they get all those tiny chickens, but when you eat enough of the mini-wings and drumsticks and combine it with many, many beers all you get the next day is a headache, a rotten stomach and a wife that is not too pleased that you came home smelling like a brewery. I swear I’ll never drink again… until tomorrow at least.
But all that said, hanging out with all the Zymeta people was worth the rotten feeling the next day.
Thu, 08 Sep 2005 03:57 Posted in General
