Lucky C'est Vingt

It was twenty years ago today...

Toronto, ON, February 4, 2007

It was a typical winter evening in St. Lawrence twenty years ago, on February 13, in every respect but one. C'est What opened it's doors to the public for the first time. The Saturday night line-up was forming at the Pat & Marios on the north-east corner of Front and Church and young singles were on the prowl at Brandys and The Muddy York further south at The Esplanade. None of these folks realized, at the time, that the little pub that was opening that night in the basement of 67 Front St. E. would out-live all of these popular night spots. Of course opening night at the quirkily named C'est What would not strike most people as being a sure-fire recipe for success: out of sight down a flight of stairs without a liquor license at eleven o'clock on a winter night. Unlikely as it may have seemed at the time, success did come for the iconoclastic venture.

The liquor license arrived three weeks later but the one-the-job training for the venture took a little longer. What held C'est What together that first year was a lot of hard work, generous loans from family and friends, and a vision of being a truly local establishment. A Toronto-centric pub restaurant. C'est What is the real deal. No ersatz English, Irish, Belgian, or American concepts are to be found. To this day the only faux to be found is the well-known local musician Adam Faux who moonlights as the sound tech.

It wasn't an easy path to take. At the time consumers were only expecting beer that was advertised during hockey games and wine that was French, dry, and white.

In our first year, when we announced that we were going exclusively with "micro" brews and Ontario wines, we were told by many that we were committing financial suicide. In retrospect, we're happy to say that being the first kid on the block has been a huge competitive advantage for us.

Our take on local cuisine has found wider acceptance over the years. Finding chicken satay or falafel on a pub menu in 1988 was pretty well limited to C'est What. The idea of a menu that reflects the multi-cultural diversity of Toronto has come of age. Curried Noodles, Moroccan Stew, Chicken Roti, Tourtiere, Poutine, and Lamburgers can co-exist on one menu and compliment each other.

C'est What's interest in local culture extends beyond the culinary and into the arts. Thousands of aspiring musicians have been nurtured with respect, great technical support, and a good pint. Look on the iTunes Canada top ten and you are bound to see at least one C'est What alumnae listed.

We are fortunate that we arrived on the scene at a time that we would able to play a part in the success of our home grown beer, wine, and music industries. It is a source of great satisfaction to be able to make a living off doing something in which you believe.

Culture Cash Grab

Toronto, ON, May 15, 2007

Instead of paying for the social services that were downloaded to the City over the last decade, the Province has passed the buck, literally, by giving Toronto additional "revenue tools" - otherwise known as taxation powers. Among others under consideration by our local uber-burghers are a tax on the sale of alcohol (as high as 10%) as well as entertainment tickets.

These proposed taxes threaten the viabilty of our cultural institutions at a time where tourism is at all time lows and the hospitality industry has suffered through successive years of SARS crisis, pro hockey lock-out, and no-smoking legislation. Those who would argue that people will still go out, shouldering the burden of an extra five or ten percent on top of the PST and GST are woefully ignorant of economic reality.

According to the City’s own consultants each percent of tax will reduce demand by one half percent. A five percent tax on alcohol would cost an a pub restaurant like C’est What about $17,000. This may not sound like a lot, but the margins of your favourite restaurant or pub are razor thin, or less. According to the Canadian Restaurant Association the average pub in Ontario is actually losing money - fifty cents for every one hundred dollars of sales. Can independent operators afford to lose any more without wholesale bankruptcies and large scale consolidation by corporate chains?

C’est What and other establishments like us should not be considered just a tax source, but a valued member of the community. We are in our twentieth year of operation featuring all locally produced beer and wine, multi-cultural comfort food, and are internationally renowned as a live music venue. The potential loss of businesses like C’est What are not just borne but their owners but by the culture of the City.

In measurable terms we contribute:

• Each year we pay more than $300,000 in Federal and Provincial sales taxes, just two of the nine taxes we pay directly.

• Property taxes of $46,000 per year.

• Employment for 35 people and salaries of over $680,000 per year, which is subject to five different taxes that we remit.

• Purchases from local suppliers of more than $1 million per year. Alcohol purchases alone produce significant Federal excise taxes and Provincial mark-ups.

• Corporate taxes, if profitable, of 20%

An additional tax could not come at a worse time. The minimum wage is set to increase significantly which will add at least $56,000 a year to our payroll costs.

Some may accuse us of "Chicken Little" thinking, but we heard these kinds of apologists before our smoking room was closed by Provincial law last year. Since that time our sales of beer, wine, and spirits have decreased by over $100,000 (year-over-year change). We would like to hear them say just one more time that it will just be "a slight adjustment period" in the face of this hard reality.

Seeking extra revenue for the City in this way is inequitable and shortsighted. If you consider all of the consequences of imposing an alcohol tax on restaurants it is clearly not in the best interests of small businesses like C’est What or of Toronto as a whole.

return to top

C'est What's Next

C’est What Celebrates 19 Years of Firsts, and Looks to a Future in Music Online

Toronto, ON, December 21, 2006

It was on the stage at Toronto’s C’est What that many of today’s leading independent musicians first got their road legs. A quick look back on an illustrious past two decades reveals memories of shows by local lights Barenaked Ladies, Feist, Hawksley Workman, Ron Sexsmith, Sarah Harmer, Sarah Slean, and The Tea Party as well as international stars of the magnitude of Jeff Buckley, Jewel, Roger Hodgson, and Wilco.

Now with an almost entire re-modeling of the club and stage room, as well as becoming Toronto’s first venue to stream all of it’s live shows online at whatsnext.ca, C’est What definitely has it’s roots planted in the future. "The silver lining to all of this has been that it has allowed us to re-examine the role that we play in the culture of our community and put together a new, exciting way to present the abundance of talent in our City to the world," says George Milbrandt, C’est What President.

And with the advent of online culture, C’est What hopes to make the next 20 years of breakthrough performances available without the constraints of traditional music consumption. "The great thing about streaming radio is that it expands the possibilities for a cultural conversation," offers Crispin Giles, music director of the venue. "Traditional radio is a one-way monologue. Internet streaming allows for a dialogue without interrupting the most important thing: the music." Not only will all the shows be streamed live but the performances themselves will be archived for podcasts. The artists are also supported with web space courtesy of C’est What. "There is a lot more to facilitating great music performances than a room covered in black paint and we are committed to making that change in our community" Milbrandt states.

With the opening of the new stage room and an inspired commitment to online support of the artists taking that stage, Toronto’s vanguard live music performance venue C’est What is sure to make the next 20 years of avant-garde, breakthrough performances that much more critical.

Look for details on the C’est What 19th Anniversary party happening February 13, 2007 as they are confirmed.

Please go to cestwhat.com for club and event details and to catch the next generation of future stars please log in to whatsnext.ca or connect iTunes directly at http://70.87.39.60:8015

return to top