Scott Morison

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 fequently ask Morison what exactly is a Browns Socialhouse? He replies, "We 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 to Morison is his optimism, energy, business savvy and his quick wit. With a laugh he describes having, “an Oprah a-ha moment” nearing the end of his association with the Cactus Club and realized it was time to try something new. He aspired to be a mentor and realized that the franchise model was a new path to be explored.

In June 2004, Morison opened the doors of the first Browns Socialhouse on Lonsdale Avenue in North Vancouver.

He set out to create a business model where people who had invested their time working in and operating restaurants could own a piece of the pie. In other words, every Browns Socialhouse is owned and operated by locals who have a vested interest in their community and the success of the brand.

Morison is naturally drawn to the creative end, and enjoys everything from brand concepts, to restaurant design, music programming, and the overall guest experience. He is equally competent in problem solving, and overseeing the legal and financial side of the business. These are skills he has honed through opening dozens of cutting-edge restaurants throughout his career.

Browns Socialhouse franchises have been popping up from Nanaimo to Regina, with Ontario next on their radar screen. Clearly, Morison has big plans for Browns Socialhouse with rapid growth on the agenda.

They are presently sitting at 22 locations with up to five more due to open this year. In addition, there are 50 more franchises ratified. Browns Restaurant Group has also burst into the American market with franchising under the name Scotty Browns.

To date two locations are operating in Bellingham, Washington, and a third restaurant is due to open in Bellevue in early 2014. Morison says the plan for expansion in Canada is much bigger as he truly understands this market and what Canadians want.

Executive Chef Jason Labahn recently joined Browns Restaurant Group in October 2013. He brings to Browns a wealth of culinary experience from his time spent at highend establishments in Las Vegas including The Mirage Resort, Bellagio, Wynn Resort & Wolfgang Puck Springs Preserve. In 2011, the Glowbal Group lured him to Vancouver as Executive Chef for Black and Blue Restaurant and The Roof at Black and Blue.

Labahn will play a key role in shepherding Browns’ new Culinary Test Kitchen, set to open alongside a new flagship Socialhouse in Langley, B.C. in early 2014. The Test Kitchen will feature a connecting boardroom for demonstrations and training and boasts state-of-the-art audio/visual capabilities that will allow Browns to communicate new menu items and preparation techniques with multiple outlets across North America in a user-friendly way via the Internet.

Morison describes Labahn as “a rock star” and says he is learning so much from him as they work together on menu development. They speak the same language as they seek to make meals memorable through “the texture, the sweet, the sour, the crunchy and the salty,” and bring these elements together to make food “craveable” and familiar, which will keep clients coming back for more.

Browns Socialhouse changes its menu twice annually and keeps on top of trends. For example, on a visit to Los Angeles Morison noticed food trucks serving tacos were all the rage and he decided to introduce them to the menu.

I asked Morison how he came up with the name Browns. Amusingly, he told me that he had seen an interview on CNN about a business that impulsively chose their name by randomly opening up the phone book. Morison thought this was a great idea and gave it a try. Although he didn’t come up with the name on the first attempt by the second flip he hit the jackpot with Brown.

Over time Morison visits each restaurant location, and he enjoys seeing sites when they are still dirt. He associates Stompin’ Tom’s version of “I’ve Been Everywhere” with his own assorted travels to Canadian towns and cities. Indeed he has been everywhere from Wayburn, Saskatchewan to Fort St. John, B.C. where he saw snow on the ground in May.

He can afford to poke fun at the quintessential Canadian experience, as he is a proud Winnipegger. He says growing up on a hobby farm was the best childhood he could imagine. Again with tongue in cheek, Morison says he was the envy of many teenagers when he would ride a snowmobile to work at the Husky station.

With his Winnipeg days long behind him, Morison is a certified West Coaster. He enjoys the lifestyle and all of the opportunities that living in this climate affords. While he previously lived in Kerrisdale, he and Burke recently moved to Dunbar. They were looking for a very specific home within a small radius of the park and his office, and one with a contemporary look and feel with an open floor plan. They also hoped to live close to the Endowment Lands at UBC, which further narrowed their search. Morison marvels that such a magnificent park can be nestled in the city. It took patience, however they found their dream home, which is a oneminute commute to the Browns office. They undertook a renovation to incorporate a Pilates studio into the floor plan, as Burke is a Pilates instructor who also happens to be a successful entrepreneur in her own right (she owns The Pilates Group in Steveston).

The couple has been married for seven years. They began dating fifteen years ago when they met at the Cactus Club in Richmond where Elizabeth was working as a hostess. With their two pugs, Olivia and Pupa, they take full advantage of the neighbourhood, and enjoy running the Endowment Land trails together and taking the dogs for walks. They also appreciate all of the local businesses within walking distance and they frequent many of the shops and services.

When asked how they make their marriage a success with two busy careers, Morison says the secret is ensuring they spend time together. Friday night is their designated date night. They do not have children and Morison admits that also makes it easier to set time aside for each other. They enjoy vacationing in Hawaii at Christmas and are looking forward to a trip to Thailand this winter at a resort where they will spend time working out (Pilates included) and meditating.

Morison says he thanks his lucky stars that he made the move into the world of franchising ten years ago.

It has provided him with a more interesting career and a fulfilling and balanced life. The future looks very bright for this entrepreneur with his drive and vision to make Browns Socialhouse a household name.

Browns Restaurant Group, 207A-3540 W 41st Avenue, Vancouver BC V6N 3E6

Telephone 604-630-0885

www.brownsrestaurantgroup.com