Bill MacTavish

Owner & GM

Bill MacTavish knew at age 16 that he wanted a restaurant at some point in his life. He began his career in the food industry working as a bartender in Kingston, Ontario, and it was there that he began appreciating fine dining and better food. A move to Guelph for his wife’s postgrad degree introduced him to the local craft beer community, and in 2012 he realized his childhood dream when he opened Imbibe Food ‘n Drink in downtown Kitchener, and subsequently The Boathouse in Victoria Park.

For Bill, community is the most important thing about both the Boathouse and Imbibe. “That’s just what we do. I keep telling people I feel incredibly lucky… it’s a crazy community project that I’m spearheading and it’s intimidating… it is an institution… and the more I learn about it, the more passionate I learn people are about the place… We have so many new things happening and it’s an incredibly exciting time to be part of the development of downtown Kitchener.”