Hospitality Sector Rallies For Cask And Kettle Staff

Unexpected flooding during the holiday season is not what the staff and owners of Cask and Kettle Irish Gastropub ordered.

The Prince William Street restaurant experienced serious flooding last week and will be closed until the clean-up is finished.

Jonathan Chouinard, co-owner of Wasted Day Brewing at 36 Water Street, said the close-knit Uptown hospitality sector organized a fundraiser on December 11th where the Cask and Kettle will take over the bar.

“What people would see as a core group of competitors in the Uptown Saint John region all coming together and making donations to benefit someone who is in a terrible situation through no fault of their own,” Chouinard said.

Donations of food and alcohol for the fundraiser have come from countless locations in Uptown Saint John and the region.

During a phone call on Wednesday afternoon, Chouinard said the event has grown quickly.

“It started out as a smaller event but it has gained a ton of traction in the last 48 hours. We were asked to donate the use of our space,” Chouinard said.

Raffle tickets will also be sold on a gift basket with donations from businesses in Saint John, the K.V. and Hampton.

Organizers are also working on a way for people to donate to the event who can’t attend in person.

Chouinard said Saint John has an exciting restaurant and craft beer scene right now with lots of potential.

“The only way to realize that is we all succeed. A rising tide will float all boats. As every restaurant and bar in Saint John achieves a greater status, has higher quality and better offerings, it just draws more people to the city core. It draws more people from around Saint John but also tourists from outside New Brunswick,” Chouinard said.

He said the only to do that is to “fight the good fight together and take care of each other”.

The December 11th fundraiser at Wasted Day Brewing begins at 7 p.m.