Finding cheap eats in Revelstoke just got easier. WhatsUpRevy.ca is a new website aiming to help tourists and locals find food and drink specials.

Website creator Brendan Watt has worked as a server in the hospitality industry in Revelstoke for three years. However, work slowed down due to COVID19.

鈥淚 was bored due to a lack of work, and created the website as a project to keep me busy, I see it as a useful tool for the town,鈥� said Watt.

鈥淚 wanted to create an easy place for people to find out what is happening in town, particularly in the restaurant scene. Restaurants are a central focal point of the community; they are where people gather and socialise.鈥�

Watt envisions the free website as being a useful tool for locals as well as tourists but said his real target audience will be younger people who are seeking a good deal.

So far 14 restaurants have provided WhatsUpRevy.ca with their specials and Watt believes more are interested but are still finalising their summer menus.

The site went live on June 18 and was posted by Watt on the Revelstoke community facebook page.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a good idea that could benefit the city,鈥� said Martin Perron, owner of Nico鈥檚 Pizzeria.

There is however an element of reservation amongst restaurateurs who are waiting to see how the platform plays out.

鈥淚t could definitely have a benefit,鈥� remarked Kushal Patel, owner of The Modern Bakeshop. 鈥淏ut it being a new website lots of people need to know about it before we will start seeing any benefit.鈥�

Trevor Roberts, owner of Craft Bierhaus remains sceptical.

鈥淚t seems like someone tries to do this every few years and it鈥檚 never well advertised.鈥�

Other concerns exist over the need to regularly update the site.

鈥淲e often try new things on our specials, sometimes they work, sometimes they don鈥檛. So it will definitely require work on their end to keep things updated鈥� said Patel.

Watt seems aware of the need to update and hopes to reach out to the restaurants on a regular basis to keep the service as relevant as possible.

Other websites such as seerevelstoke.com provide鈥檚 a similar service, advertising local events and promoting local restaurants. It does not however provide information on daily specials.

鈥淵es it鈥檚 a similar site, I hope mine is one that will complement it and help fill in the gaps,鈥� said Watt.

tim.vanderkrogt@revelstokereview.com
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