Cover Story
Scott Morison: At Home in Dunbar by Sarah Gordon
photos by Sandra Steier
You may be familiar with the restaurant franchise Browns Socialhouse, which places emphasis on eating, drinking and socializing. What you may not know is this highly successful enterprise has Dunbar roots. Scott Morison (Browns Restaurant Group President and CEO) lives in the area, and the head office is located on West 41st Avenue across the street from the IGA. Browns Restaurant Group office employs over 30 staff, with ten employees usually on the road making field visits or performing audits. Why did Morison choose to locate the office in this neighbourhood? He has lived in the vicinity for many years and wanted to have an office close to home with his wife, Elizabeth Burke. Morison points out that Browns staff patronizes local businesses, and he enjoys seeing this economic spillover into the community. People frequently ask Morison what exactly is a Browns Socialhouse? He replies, “We 6
serve fresh, tasty food in a lively room that’s fun, full of energy and designed to be as comfy as my living room…without the dog hair.” Morison pioneered the Socialhouse concept ten years ago, however this was by no means his first foray into the world of dining. In fact, he initially trained as a chef and worked with Earl’s in the early 1980s. He entered the business side of the restaurant industry with former business partner Richard Jaffray. They owned and operated Café Cucamonga’s, a sandwich and ice cream parlour on West Broadway. They moved on from that twoyear venture to co-found the Cactus Club with silent partners Leroy “Bus” Earl and Stan Fuller. Morison was involved with the restaurant for eighteen years and describes those days as having some incredible highs and lows. Jaffray bought Morison out approximately eight years ago. The first thing that I noticed when speaking
www.DunbarLife.com | November 15, 2013 - February 14, 2014
