Victoria restaurateur Thomas John Ferris, whose venues are local institutions, died Friday after a short battle with cancer.
Ferris was hardworking and dedicated to his restaurants, said longtime friend and business partner Dave Craggs. His passion for food, drink and people drew a loyal customer base to the pair’s three restaurants — Ferris’ Downstairs Grill and Garden Patio, Ferris’ Upstairs Seafood and Oyster Bar, and Perro Negro Tapas and Wine.
“He reached a lot of people through his ability to talk to people and joke with people,” Craggs said. “He was a pretty larger-than-life character, for sure.”
Craggs said their restaurants have a huge number of regular customers in large part because of Ferris’s big personality.
“People used to come in as coffee kids, then they grew up and had kids themselves and now their kids come,” Craggs said. “Whenever it’s the long weekend, we see a lot of clientele that are back in town visiting and they pretty much always come to Ferris’.”
Ferris, 63, opened his first restaurant, which turned into the Downstairs Grill, on Yates Street, in 1991 with a limited budget. At the time, there wasn’t a lot going on in the area, but it has turned into a vibrant part of the city.
His success was due to his strong work ethic and commitment to the business, Craggs said. “He was at the restaurant almost daily for most of the 28 years.”
Craggs met Ferris about 28 years ago, first as a customer. The two became friends before becoming business partners several years later.
Ferris passed away at home surrounded by his wife, Sandy, daughter Paula, grandchildren Alexa and Max and his pug, Molly.
He loved pugs and all animals, Craggs said. In the past, they hosted pug parties in their restaurants, bringing together hundreds of pugs. “There were themes and pugs in Halloween costumes. They were quite epic, actually.”
Ferris was born Jan. 23, 1956, in Toronto. He moved to Victoria when he was 23 years old, after abandoning a history degree at York University and working at a variety of jobs in Lake Louise and Jasper.
Former Victoria city councillor Pam Madoff said Ferris’s hands-on and casual approach made him stand out in the community.
“I’d be hard-pressed to think of anyone you could compare him to,” she said. “The thing about Tom is not only the longevity. He brought a very unique way of operating his businesses that really felt rooted in Victoria.”
Dozens of customers posted messages on the Ferris’ Upstairs Seafood and Oyster Bar Facebook page after the death was announced.
Customers remembered his sense of humour, generosity and affinity for Birkenstocks. Some shared personal memories of Ferris offering an ear or a hug during hard times. One commenter remembered the bar as the birthplace of many friendships, and the spot where she met her husband.
A memorial scholarship has been set up in Ferris’s name to help hospitality workers pursue continuing education.
“He just liked learning. And he really encouraged education and knowledge,” Craggs said.
The scholarship will be funded annually by the three restaurants. Craggs has also started a fundraising page.
In a biography that Craggs had his partner wrote for a staff manual last year, Ferris called his time in the hospitality industry “a wonderful ride,” and said the business was set up for many more years.
“I’ve been called a lot of things in my time, but one thing no one can ever accuse me of is not caring,” he wrote.
Friends and family are planning a celebration of life to be held in about a month.
