In conversation with Earl Barish

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 18/06/2016 (3635 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

This is not your grandfather’s Salisbury House.

The iconic restaurant chain is celebrating its 85th anniversary but it’s fair to say the more important milestone is the decade since Earl Barish became the majority owner, president and CEO.

Little more than 10 years ago, the company was in deep financial trouble, much of it due to the actions of Costas Ataliotis and David Wolinsky, the principles at the helm of “Sals” as well as Maple Leaf Distillers and Protos International.

The latter two companies ultimately went bankrupt and were the subject of several lawsuits, perpetrated by an elaborate cheque-kiting scheme that resulted in millions of dollars of unauthorized loans, not to mention millions more lost by shareholders.

Barish, however, who was a minority owner, rode to the rescue and the company has been back on solid ground for years.

Free Press: Why did you step in like that?

Barish: It was April 19, 2006, at 3:01 in the afternoon (when the deal was finalized). You had an iconic company that had been here for 75 years with 600 employees, many of whom had given multiple years of service. Through the actions of two people, in particular, it was possible the company would become bankrupt and all of those people would lose their jobs. I’m a strong Winnipegger and for me to see that happen wasn’t something that I could allow if I could do something about it.

FP: Did people think you were crazy for getting so involved?

Barish: I’ve been crazy all my life. I’m a little off the wall in terms of my thinking. I don’t see things the same way other people do. People read a story and think about the story. I read a story and think about the opportunity.

When I started at Salisbury House, we had a 75-cent promotion that I put on. It was 10 items at 75 cents for 11 weeks on Tuesdays. I had no idea what I was doing but I was the president and nobody tells the president not to do things (laughs).

By the end of the promotion, we were selling 60,000 items on Tuesdays, which was the slowest day of the week. A unit is a Nip, a Pepsi, fries or cake. With an average of four units per person, that was 15,000 people coming to Salisbury House on Tuesdays. Other restaurants in the area changed from being closed on Mondays to being closed on Tuesdays.

FP: Burton Cummings has been a longtime shareholder. He did a tour of the restaurants not long after you took over where he met fans and posed for pictures. How did that come about?

Barish: The intent was to get Salisbury House back on people’s radar screens. It’s my belief that people have an initial capacity for about five restaurants. I had to find a way. When you Google something, you want to be first (on the list).

FP: You’ve got 13 restaurants, including seven full-service, six Xpress locations, plus counters at Investors Group Field, Shaw Park, the Health Sciences Centre, and Windsor Park and Kildonan golf courses. You also manage a Sals in Norway House. Are there any more plans for expansion?

Barish: We’re opening in Steinbach in September. Our Ellice Avenue store near the airport is the only full-service location that hasn’t been redeveloped or rebuilt. It’s from 1957 and it’s time to redo it. I’m in the process of arranging the financing. A year from now, we’ll have a new restaurant there.

The purpose of opening in Steinbach is to look at the possibility of expanding into other communities, like Portage la Prairie, Selkirk, and Brandon. We could go to Winkler and Morden, too.

We’re going to be closing our Xpress store on Pembina Highway near the University of Manitoba. The lease is coming up and with increased rental costs and diminished volume, it doesn’t make sense to keep it open.

FP: So, full-service is the future for Sals?

Barish: Salisbury House is no longer just a Nip-and-fries kind of restaurant. There are all sorts of choices. When you place your order, you’ll be asked eight to 10 questions. It takes 20 seconds longer but you’ll get exactly what you want. That includes whether you want a white or multi-grain bun or how you want your eggs done… The Main and Matheson location we’ll never change, though. That would be a mistake. It’s a neighbourhood kind of thing. Even if we built every other restaurant, you could go there, sit down and get the nostalgia of what Sals used to be.

FP: Can we expect any more innovative menu items?

Barish: We just added a doughnut sundae, which was developed by my grandson, Tyler. He turns 11 this month. He said to me, “You need a dessert that looks like a Nip.” I said, “What did you have in mind?” So, his idea was you take a chocolate doughnut, which we’ve had for 60 years, cut it in half, put a scoop of ice cream in the centre, put whipping cream on top, add a second scoop of ice cream and then put Oreo cookie crumble, chocolate drizzle and a cherry. It presents beautifully. It’s on for $1.99 as part of our anniversary special. We’ve sold hundreds of them and we’re going to keep it on the menu.

geoffkirbyson@mymts.net