How MNP Tower Landed Star Chef David Hawksworth
Oxford Properties Group scored a culinary coup in snagging Vancouver's David Hawksworth, who will open a 7,400k SF high-end restaurant at MNP Tower next year. Oxford’s Chuck We tells us what the chef found so appetizing about the space.
Chuck says David dug the design of MNP Tower, which incorporates a brownstone heritage facade at its base (seen below). Behind this, the restaurant will have a double-height main floor—with 30-foot ceilings—plus a 4k SF mezzanine, housing the kitchen, private dining space and bar. Equally as appealing to the chef: the high volume of business that’ll funnel into his restaurant owing to its prime location. Built on the final available site in the harbour district with views, MNP Tower is the fourth building in a 1.1M SF Oxford-owned complex that includes Guinness Tower, the Marine Building and Oceanic Plaza.
Oxford was in talks with Hawksworth’s group for over a year, says Chuck (snapped below on-site) “but we really started seeing momentum from their side in early 2014.” This is David Hawksworth’s second Vancouver location; his first, Hawksworth, has been named Vancouver Magazine’s “Best Upscale Restaurant” every year since opening in 2012. The MNP complex includes eateries like Chewies Oyster Bar, the Elephant & Castle Pub, and Meat and Bread. But Chuck says the chef's new fine-dining venture “is a way to finish off with something we really felt we needed: a high-end restaurant.”
Hawksworth’s restaurant gives Oxford an added advantage when it comes to offering amenities that enable employees to work, live and play in the same place. Oxford has expanded the fitness centre at the Marine Building to 5,400 SF (adding towel service, too), and enlarged a 150-bike storage area with showers at Guinness Tower. At MNP Tower, there’ll be a yoga and spin studio; and a bouldering area where Chuck says you can “hang upside down.” The goal: provide tenants what they need to attract the best and brightest. “You do that by giving them reasons to be in the building.”
