Darren Bilinski
pauses as he looks out the window.
"The restaurant has done extremely well," he begins, reflecting on the early days of owning the Yellowknife Pzza Hut franchise.
"We are in an area of town that's growing, and I've got very good people on my staff," he comments.
For Bilinski, having friendly and conscientious staff translates into repeat sales. Pizza Hut has become a mainstay in the Yellowknife restaurant industry largely because of the attention he places on ensuring every customer leaves smiling.
"I'm loving it here," he says, smiling broadly.
Bilinski knows what it takes for any restaurant to survive in changing times. The long-time employee of the Pizza Hut chain recalls the early days of his career, working as a driver for the franchise in Brandon, Manitoba when he was 18.
"After I drove for a couple of years, I then became a server for another year and a half."
His career blossomed when he was then promoted to train people how to run the restautrant in Whitehorse, Yukon.
"You don't know what you know until you're facing forty people who don't know anything," he laughs.
It was his success as a trainer that caught the attention of senior management, as they approached him with the prospect of running a new franchise. Blinski is quick to answer why he chose Yellowknife over Jasper.
"Quite simply, I just didn't want to go to Jasper." he answers quickly, almost bristling at the suggestion that perhaps he made a mistake choosing Yellowknife over the popular resort town in Alberta.
"Jasper is a national park in land set aside for animals. Running a restaurant in such a location just went against my nature at the time."
When his partners gave him a folder with "Yellowknife" written on it, he closed the Jasper file and without hesitation, made the decision to head north.
"I couldn't have made a better choice," he admits, adding, "I'm an outdoor kind of guy. I love camping, kayaking, enjoying the great outdoors no matter what season it is. Yellowknife just seemed to offer more than Jasper."
It was the realization about what Yellowknife had to offer that helped him decide not to sell his share of the operation while it was up for sale last year. Bilinski admits he's had a lot to learn about himself in recent years. One aspect of entrepreneurship hes had to confront is the ability to delegate managerial authority so he could take time off.
"I was very tired, for a long time," he admits, adding that for the first year the restaurant was open, he seldom took time off. He felt compelled to always be present, minding the operation well beyond the hours it was open. It was a habit that led him down the trail towards exhaustion. Lately however, the task of running the operation has become easier since appointing Jason Grudzinski and Darren Ryden as his right-hand men when he's not in the restaurant.
"They're very conscientious, they work hard. They've done a great job, and it's really enabled me to enjoy life up here."
So for Bilinski, life has become more balanced lately. The frantic pace of running a pizzeria has lessened,and hes been able to enjoy his outdoor pursuits more often.
What seems to warm him the most is the continuing loyalty of his customers as they walk through the front door. It's then he knows he's established a winning formula, ensuring his success is based on great food, wonderful service and an easy, contagious smile.
That suits him just fine.
