The owner of Krafty Kitchen + Bar in Kelowna is launching a second restaurant on Lawrence Street.
Chef and owner Chris Shaften said the restaurant will be called Orchard Room and will hopefully launch sometime mid-June at 269 Lawrence St., before the summer season starts.
The menu will primarily be made up of plant-focused small plates, Shaften said, adding that Chef Mike Wilkins will lead the culinary team.
They have installed a large fridge and additional prep space since they took possession of the former 30 Minute Hit in February, but they will not have grease ducts, he said, so ingredients cannot be cooked in fat. Some plates will be served cold.
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“Where Krafty is … more of a contemporary Canadian bistro, like comfort food, Orchard is going to be clean, bright, a little more sophisticated and lighter,” Shaften told the Capital News.
He said about 85 per cent of the dishes at Orchard Room will be vegetarian, such as Peking cauliflower, but there will also be some fish and meat, similar to how he eats at home.
One of the signature dishes, he said, will be a smoked salmon tartare.
“It’s going to be smoked to order and served under a dome that we’ll open at the table, so there are going to be theatrical presentations both for the food and the cocktails,” he said.
The drinks will consist of cocktails as well as on-tap B.C. ciders, served under old orchard boxes turned into plant holders.
“There’s so much cool cider being introduced to the Okanagan right now,” he said, adding that Krafty general manager and sommelier Mia Papadopoulos will lead the beverage program.
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Aside from the orchard design influences, he said the interior will have a retro Miami vibe.
“Orchard Room makes sense for Kelowna and it also makes sense to tie in Floridian influences,” he said.
The space is 1,750 square feet and will seat 30 people overall. A prominent bar with a white quartz top will seat 12 of those people and, in addition to the main dining area, there will also be a private dining area with a booth.
By July, Shaften said he also hopes to add a sidewalk patio out front, with a similar layout to the patios at Micro Bar & Bites and Sturgeon Hall.
Orchard Room opening hours will be Monday to Friday from 3 p.m. until late, and there will also be brunch served on the weekends, starting at 10 a.m.
Shaften said brunch at his second restaurant will have a musical tie-in similar to the hip hop brunch at Krafty, though he hasn’t decided what genre.
“I’m playing around with indie brunch, like everything my girlfriend listens to,” he said, adding that Cuban music might also make sense. “I think the music is going to be a reflection of the room.”
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