Photos by Rowen Fisler/Spoke Online & @Stay739084/TripAdvisor
(Pictured left to right) The Rabbid Fox signage sitting above the main entrance of the tavern, in Kitchener, Ont., with Blair McDonald and Bojan Batricevic standing inside their new kingdom.
Ten years ago, Blair McDonald was a teacher in the English department at Thompson River University in Kamloops, B.C.
One day, at the Kamloops Tennis Centre, McDonald’s life would slowly begin to change after meeting his future best friend and business partner, Bojan (Bo) Batricevic.
“We became friends there and I started going to the bar he (Batricevic) worked at. I saw it was pretty dynamic and that is where our friendship really started,” McDonald recalled.
Little did McDonald know all those years ago that he would one day be trying to capture that same dynamic vibe, only at his own restaurant this time.
McDonald and Batricevic would pack their bags and move to Waterloo Region, searching for a business to invest in.
Photo by Rowen Fisler/Spoke Online
The establishment is located in Pioneer Park Plaza, which underwent a reface and renovation in the last few years, with The Rabbid Fox getting a new building with a modern patio included.
The Rabbid Fox, a restaurant located in Kitchener’s Pioneer Park Plaza, had become available for sale in the summer of 2022, and after a visit to the tavern, the business partners were nothing short of impressed, and inspired.
After spending several years in the food and service industry, the chance to own his own restaurant meant a little more to Batricevic than just an investment.
“I had different motivations to Blair, having worked in the industry so long, you start to wonder what it would be like to have your own restaurant after a while,” Batricevic said.
This chance to become business owners was at the tail-end of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2022, which devastated the food and service industry.
Especially in their new habitat, McDonald and Batricevic knew the importance that the hunters did not become the hunted.
“The restaurant industry changed a lot after COVID-19, so you never really know quite what you’re getting yourself into,” McDonald said.
What the friends got themselves into was a building which had still not gotten its spark back post-pandemic. Quiet conversations filling the bar area of the tavern similar to how echoes ring throughout caves. Shining seats and tables slowly collecting dust like old sports trophies in a childhood bedroom. A single ray of sunshine cracking through the windows, emerging from the clouds, gleaming on those who believed McDonald and Batricevic would make a difference.
Photo by Rowen Fisler/Spoke Online
Buying the business during the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, McDonald and Batricevic would have to wait for the good times to come back to The Rabbid Fox.
Upon their arrival to The Rabbid Fox, McDonald and Batricevic were rookies, and they were in the presence of a seasoned veteran.
Daytime Manager Aliceson Jones, who goes by Ali, had already worked at the tavern for about eight years when “the boys” took over in 2022. She detailed that there was a learning curve involved when the takeover was still fresh, but knew with the intangibles they brought to the table, that it would not be a permanent problem.
“If I had a loonie for every time I had my name called for a question in the first week (of McDonald’s and Batricevic’s ownership), I would have had enough money to retire,” Jones said.
“They were not afraid to learn new things as they got their feet wet. They are always learning, trying to get this place drummed up; they eat, sleep, and breathe this place,” Jones said.
Jones had witnessed a lot of change at The Rabbid Fox over her years at the establishment, including a complete remodeling and facelift of the building the restaurant was in, and the entirety of the Pioneer Park Plaza itself.
No change was bigger than the raging pandemic and how it impacted the food industry. Jones was directly impacted by this. As Daytime Manager, she chose to step back as the hours of business altered to best fit the adapting climate of the food game.
But, once Jones came back to work and ownership changed, she was sure that the real game-changers had walked through their doors.
“COVID-19 affected a lot of people in different ways, but when the boys took over, it was like COVID-19 did not exist anymore…they gave new life to this place,” Jones said.
“Anyone want another beer,” Jones inquired as she patrolled her way up and down her assigned bar area. Out of Jones’ regulars, a familiar voice calls back, asking for a final beer and the bill.
Photo by Rowen Fisler/Spoke Online
Sharky (pictured in Chicago Bulls hat) was just one of the regulars who was at The Rabbid Fox for a quick afternoon beer on Sept. 23, 2024.
“I go by Sharky, that’s always been what people call me here,” Sharky said.
A sewer and watermain specialist by day, Sharky often finds himself back at the tavern day in and day out.
“I cannot really describe what keeps me here, it just feels like home,” Sharky said as he used the debit machine to pay his tab.
“See you tomorrow, guys, Bo, tell Blair I said hey,” Sharky shouted as he walked out the tavern.
As they leave the tavern for the day, McDonald and Batricevic nod to each other in approval, their risk having paid off.
“Sometimes, these kinds of opportunities just present themselves, and you just have to take that jump,” McDonald said.
