10 Years of Alo: A Conversation with Chef Patrick Kriss
To mark Alo’s tenth anniversary, we sat down with Chef Patrick Kriss to reflect on the restaurant’s early days, the evolution of Alo Food Group, and the lessons learned over a decade in one of Canada’s most acclaimed kitchens.
Q: Can you take us back to opening night at Alo—what do you remember most vividly?
PK: I know we did 16 covers opening night. What I mainly remember is that it felt like I was hosting a dinner party with my parents coming over. That energy of trying to make everything perfect, like you just moved out and you’re having family over for the first time, that’s what it felt like.
We also had this idea to offer choices throughout the menu, but couldn’t land on a second fish course we liked, so we scrapped the choice entirely and just served one fish dish. Kind of funny what you remember all these years later, but that’s how it went. I also remember thinking a couple that came in during the first month or so absolutely hated their experience, but they’ve been regulars ever since.
Q: What’s something you wish more people understood about the behind-the-scenes of running a restaurant like Alo?
PK: Honestly, I don’t expect people to understand what it’s like to run a restaurant. It’s not their job to know what happens behind the scenes. Our job is to give guests an experience that feels seamless. Some days, you may be going through a rough time, then the restaurant lights go on, you suddenly get a rush of energy, and you try to give people the best night you can. People come to our restaurants to enjoy their meal, that’s all I want.
Q: You’ve built a group around Alo. What was the moment you knew you were ready to grow beyond just one restaurant?
PK: I never knew I was ready. I still look at myself sometimes and ask, “Am I ready for all this?” But by then, you realize you’re already in motion and you just can’t go backwards. That’s been the truth since day one.
Q: Why is it called Alo?
PK: The real story? Ok, I wanted a three-letter word that started with an A so it would show up first on alphabetical lists. That’s really where it originated from.
Q: What would 2015 Patrick say to 2025 Patrick?
PK: Sometimes being naive is a good thing in business. Just having no idea what’s around the corner, can be a gift. When we opened Alo, I didn’t have voices in my head telling me all the things that could go wrong. I just had a goal. Sometimes, the less you know, the freer you are to go after something big.
Also, I would say, “this is going to be harder than you think”. And, “what feels big today will be nothing in ten years.” That perspective shift is everything.
Q: If you weren’t running a restaurant group or cooking professionally, what do you think you’d be doing?
PK: I honestly have no idea. I’ve been doing this since I was 15. I didn’t have a plan B. I poured everything into this, and maybe that’s part of why it worked; there wasn’t room for anything else. It’s this or nothing.