The Bulldog Okanagan Lake Bistro is slowly taking shape, but the full picture remains mysterious.

(BEN BULMER / iNFOnews.ca)

If you’ve been wondering what’s happening with the floating barge parked near Paddlewheel Park on Okanagan Lake, ask Oscar Carreira.

He has the whole grand plan mapped out, but don’t expect him to spill the beans entirely. There are still some details that need to be sorted on the way to opening The Bulldog Okanagan Lake Bistro, and he’s keeping his cards close to his chest for the time being.

“It’s not completed yet, but right now we want to get the restaurant to where it can accommodate about 120 people,” he said, adding it currently has a 50-person dining space.

“Our menu won’t be huge, it will incorporate upscale beach fare, a little west coast cuisine, mixed with Indonesian fare as well. It’s what our menu is like at the Bulldog on Silver Star Mountain, and we’ve been there since 2006.”

The barge-turned-restaurant is the brainchild the Bulldog’s chef Tyler Lafferty, Devin Seymour and Carreira. Seymour owns the barge that was used in the construction of the WR Bennett bridge and it seemed like a good opportunity to put it to use.

“We thought we could offer something that would accentuate the community, and give more (dining) options,” Carreira said.

The owners of the Bulldog Okanagan Lake Bistro will likely be stationed along Westside Road.

(BEN BULMER / iNFOnews.ca)

Kelowna’s corner of Okanagan Lake has a lot more spots to get a meal or have a drink on or along the water, but the north end has always been a little lighter when it comes to variety.

“It’s just another way to enjoy the lake,” he said. 

There will be boat-in traffic and while it could move, it’s not really in the plans. It will eventually be set up in the lake closer to Westside Road.

As for when it opens, they’re shooting for the end of summer but the biggest goal is to make sure everything is done right.

That has been made a challenge by the onset of the pandemic.

“When things closed down we had to become patient,” he said. “It’s a bit of a waiting game, but in the meantime getting it as complete as we can.”

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