White Goose Bistro

The White Goose Bistro is truly a family affair, says chef Ryan Cyre. Both of his parents and his sister run the restaurant together, doing everything from greeting and serving guests to managing the business end of the venture. Since opening in 2006, the White Goose Bistro has gotten so busy that the Cyres are looking for a larger building. However, leaving the downtown area isn't an option for the Cyres. They enjoy the downtown vibe too much to consider relocating. "Things are really happening down here," notes Ryan, and he is enthusiastic about the potential for future growth in downtown Prince George.

Ryan has been a professional chef for years and helped to open several other local restaurants before taking on White Goose Bistro with his family. The success of the restaurant has been surprising for the Cyre family. "We had goals and dreams for the restaurant," he says, "and it has surpassed all of our dreams." It may be due, at least in part, to the fabulous, original menu that Ryan helped to create. In fact, he comes up with a new menu each year. He loves playing around in the kitchen, mixing flavours and exotic and unlikely ingredients and coming up with something stunning. In fact, he's won numerous awards, including the Iron Chef Prince George Challenge and the Farmers Market Chef Challenge. According to Ryan, though, it is the restaurant's customers that are really responsible for its success. "Our customers are amazing!" says Ryan. "We love our clientele."

The Cyre family has lived in Prince George for decades. Ryan was just a year old when they moved here, and he's never left. The Cyres are close-knit, and even after working together all year long they still enjoy vacationing together as an extended family. They close the restaurant for a week every January and go for a family getaway, usually someplace warm. It's something they enthusiastically look forward to because it's about the only down time they get all year long.