It’s been four years in the making and Vancouver’s own MeeT restaurant is slated to open its first location in Victoria next month.
MeeT will be calling the corner of Blanshard and Hillside home as they move into Boston Pizza’s former location at 797 Hillside Avenue.
MeeT’s co-founder, Jason Antony says their new restaurant along Hillside will offer a central location to help integrate into Victoria.
“It’s probably one of the busiest intersections in Victoria. As far as people knowing where we are, that part is amazing. As far as getting to it, it’s on bike, transit and car routes. As far as walking, it’s a little further than we would like,” says Antony.
With an official date still in the works this coming December, the location well known for its delicious plant-based meals and brunches plans to soft launch a variety of contests offering loyal foodies the opportunity to enjoy discounts and even free meals as they test out the new menu.
These contests will take place via MeeT’s email list and through Facebook and Instagram updates.
With more than 60 employees set to be hired at the Hillside location, Antony says the importance of engaging with BIPOC communities while promoting inclusivity is integral to MeeT’s values.
“Every restaurant develops its own culture. So depending on who is working, what the team sees as really important is where we are going to spend a lot of our time.”
“Focusing on making sure that we can create a great restaurant experience and we’ll learn a combination of what our team wants and what the community around us needs,” says Antony.
From its inception, MeeT’s philosophy has been to promote equality, acceptance, and compassion to staff and customers that enjoy quality food.
As MeeT restaurant opens up in the coming weeks, Antony says their mission is to bring people together in a place that is welcoming and promotes constructive dialogue regarding healthy and sustainable food practices.
“We are really trying to create a better food system. The food system is broken, and we’re looking to try and see what we can do to be a part of getting away from the industrial animal agricultural system as a primary driver, finding alternative ways where people can eat plants without compromise,” says Antony.
MeeT
- Where: MeeT, 797 Hillside Avenue in Victoria
- When: Doors are set to open in December 2022
