Persistence ... and a patio in the sun!

When we first opened our restaurant in Garrison Woods in Calgary, we expected to launch our patio that spring and have a booming outdoor business. I went to the city for my outdoor cafe license and was quickly told that due to zoning, the patio was an "impossibility!". The developers had opted to not include patios in their original development permit and I was stuck. The lady at the city said there was absolutely no way to get a patio in that location.

I was furious! I thought, I am going to find a way - just to spite the developers and the woman at the city. So I began working on finding a way to open a patio at our restaurant.

I spoke to consultants, city officials, designers, architects, community associations and finally found a long, expensive way to do it. For two years I have worked on getting letters of support, preparing drawings, meeting with city officials and speaking with consultants who work with the city.

The only person really standing in my way at every turn was a neighbour. He also happened to be a lawyer who didn't want to see any patios, noise, bars, restaurants, etc. Apparently he has never sat on a patio and the savored the experience of a chilled glass of wine with a delicious meal in the summer sun. He had threatened both the city and the developer with legal action, and they had backed down.

Last week I stood in front of City Council and expected to stand toe to toe with this lawyer. He never showed. I had out-worked him. I had gone through all the steps with persistence and determination. He eventually got worn down and couldn't be bothered.

My point is this - persistence is what got me a patio and a huge boost to our restaurant. None of the steps over two years were that tough. It's just that there were hundreds of them. The process, like so many, is designed to weed out the people who don't want it as badly, so that only those who are really serious remain. Over the past two years, most people told me to drop it; I was beat; the neighbour had won; I had given it a good shot. I said, no, I am not giving up.

Persistence is 99% of the race and of any competition. I count on the other side seeing my determination and eventually throwing in the towel. Don't get me wrong, I pick my fights. I also know when something is important and I dig my heels in. I highly recommend this approach - it has worked for me and for all those people I look up to.