The Prince George restaurant industry is stabilizing enough that some proprietors are considering a new version of a local professional group.
It has been about five years since the Prince George Restaurant Association held active meetings and events.
Times are better now, said Paul Robison, the last president of the Prince George Restaurant Association, and he's trying to reboot the organization.
"I've heard some positive thoughts floating around about the food industry getting together again as a group," said Robison, manager of food services at the Coast Inn of the North. "It's the first time in probably five years that I sensed any interest."
The previous group involved itself in some major food events to showcase the city's restaurants, such as The Phantom Diner, where participants bought a ticket and drew surprise destinations for a night of several dining locations, as well as the Prince George Food and Hospitality trade fair and A Taste of Prince George.
A new group could revive some of these activities, said Robison, or could take the association in a new direction. It could be a branch of the B.C. Restaurant Association or a stand alone. It is an open opportunity, he said, because there has been so much changeover over the past few years in management positions and in food establishments around the city.
"The personality of the city's cafes and restaurants has really changed," he said. "The components are in place to succeed with it again. I think it might be time."
An unofficial count of business licenses shows that in 2008 there were more than 160 in either the "restaurant" or the "cafe" categories in 2008 but that number plummeted to 76 in 2011. It has rebounded to 83 this year. Those figures do not include establishments like bakeries, convenience stores, pubs, community halls, caterers, mobile food vendors and cafeterias.
According to Northern Health's food inspectors, there are 409 places in Prince George and greater region that sell in-house prepared food. Of those, an estimated 250 are places where one could eat a proper meal, according to Greg Thibault, manager of Public Health Protection in the Northern Interior.
"Anecdotally, our number of establishments is fairly static right now in Prince George," Thibault said. "Some places have closed in recent years, some places have opened new, but the overall number is about static."
Anyone interested in reviving the food industry association in Prince George is urged to contact Robison.
