Rocking the (Jewish) world

RORY RICHARDS

Smart, instinctive, successful, passionate, confident and innocently irreverent are just some of the ways I would describe Dave Barnett. We recently discussed business, community, romance, music and his candid thoughts on growing up Jewish in Vancouver.

At the age of 34, this Vancouver business prodigy is operating several of the most successful and talked about venues in the city, with combined gross sales in excess of $6 million a year.

Starting at the age of 24 with his first restaurant, the Regal Beagle, the young entrepreneur went on to brew new business by opening the West Side coffee shop, Higher Grounds. Dave capitalized on Vancouver's lack of live music venues and his own passion for rock 'n' roll by purchasing the Media Club in 2001. The Media Club has since become one of the hottest live music venues in the city, boasting performances from rock notables such as 54-40, the Payolas and Spirit of the West. Dave's latest venture, along with the immediate Barnett family, is the Watermark Restaurant at Kits Beach.

Name: David Barnett.

Hebrew Name: David.

My mother was born in: Saskatchewan.

My father was born in: London, England.

Occupation: Self-employed entrepreneur specializing in restaurants and event management.

Can we just say restaurateur and event specialist? Yeah, sure.

Company: Golden Road Consulting/Eventrix. Owns: Regal Beagle, Burrito Brothers, Media Club and Watermark on Kits Beach.

Age: 34.

Kinder? No.

Marital status? Co-habiting.

With a nice Jewish girl? Um... she's a nice girl....

Are you going to get married? Yes.

When? Someday.

Under a chuppah? Yes, of course.

Hmm. Can I hold you to that? Yes ... and I'll break a glass too.

OK. Back to business. Pen and paper or Blackberry? Blackberry.

How many voicemails a day do you get? 20.

How many e-mails a day do you get? 35.

What book are you reading right now? The Da Vinci Code.

What new business initiatives are you working on? I'm working on bringing an international music conference to Vancouver.

Describe the theory you use in business in a sentence: Treat your customer as you would want to be treated yourself and exceed their expectations.

Who would you want to have dinner with (dead or alive/Jewish or not)? Bob Dylan, Bob Marley or my brother, John.

Do you do any volunteer work? No.

Ever been to Israel? Yes, when I was 16.

Is it time to go back? I haven't felt inspired to go back since.

Favorite charity? Canadian Music Therapy Fund.

Last time you were in shul? Last Yom Kippur.

Where do you hang your kippah? Temple Sholom.

What do you think of the rabbi? He's good. He's a funny guy, interesting ... very entertaining.

What role does Judaism play in your life? It plays a bit of a role. Most of my friends are Jewish. Culturally it's a big part, but not religiously.

What makes you most proud to be Jewish? My relationship with friends and family. There is a sense of relationship and connection with people that you share Judaism with. It's an intangible feeling that is hard to describe.

What was your first job? Delivering the newspaper at age 11.

What was your paper route? Around Osler Elementary in Kerrisdale – very tough neighborhood. East of the Boulevard, man.

What profession other than your own would like to attempt? Musician.

My Hebrew is: I can read ... I would say pretty average.

Favorite place in Vancouver: My house in Kits, the UBC Endowment Lands and Jericho Beach.

Who is your favorite Jewish comedian, actor or artist? Bob Dylan – he's my rabbi – and Ali G. (Sacha Baron Cohen).

Do you have a Jewish mentor or someone you look up to? My grandfather. He's nuts but I admire his endurance, his passion, his commitment to his wife (married 70 years) and his commitment to community and charity.

Pearl of wisdom: You are your biggest competitor. Don't get caught up in the craziness of the outside world.

Guilty pleasure? Yes, but we can't talk about them. How about we say chocolate?

Favorite website: Aside from www.mediaclub.ca?

You are a shameless self-promoter. OK, www.pollstar.com.

As a 34-year-old Jewish man living in Vancouver, what do you think is the biggest problem facing the Jewish community? Education. In my Jewish educational upbringing at Talmud Torah, there was a lack of spirituality. Maybe it's changed ... but growing up, the Jewish education we received was all traditional "Read this, learn about this holiday, or whatever, but it didn't have any depth.

The world we live in is so eclectic and there needs to be more spirituality and cohesiveness with other cultures. We need to connect more with other traditions. I know that spirituality exists in Judaism and it needs to be part of the educative process.

Rory Richards is a partner in Richards and Chan, a Vancouver PR and event planning company, www.richardsandchan.com.

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