Patrons keep coming back for more, so an Indian food restaurateur plans to not disappoint. For the past four summers Chacha Johns co-owner Thomas John has been serving up butter chicken at the Taste of Okotoks event to the rave reviews of samplers and he’ll be back again this weekend. “I did butter chicken the first two years because that’s what people really enjoyed,” he said. “It’s my fourth year doing it.” Last year, John added a vegetarian dish following requests for a meatless option and this year he’s adding wafers made out of flour that are lightly fried and dipped in curry. “It’s more of a street food in India so that’s why I incorporated it this year,” he said. Admittedly, John doesn’t expect this morsel to be as successful as the butter chicken. “People are creatures of habit,” he said. “I bet 80 to 85 per cent will get the butter chicken and 20 per cent will try the wafers. You want individuals to try new things but they’re happy with what they are brought consistently so I don’t want to ruin it for them.” John was initially apprehensive about serving up food to thousands of people shortly after opening his business when Mark Doherty, Okotoks community events specialist, invited him in the summer of 2015. “When I first opened the business up he approached me and said it was great way to get the word out and engage with the community and have a great time doing it,” John said. “The first year was a tremendous success. I was one of the top five in terms of who had accumulated the most tickets.” Within two months of the event, business at Chacha Johns increased by 20 per cent. Since then, business has been consistent both at the restaurant and at the Taste of Okotoks event, so it was an easy decision to join again for this year’s July 21 event in downtown Okotoks. The event runs from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. from Veterans Way to Lineham Street featuring food by more than 20 Okotoks restaurants. The restauranteurs aim to please a crowd as large 10,000 people with a variety of foods that include salads, kabobs, pizza, pancakes and nachos, said Doherty. “It’s a huge event,” he said. “It took off from the day it started six years ago. “It’s just to support the restaurants during that day and give them an opportunity to make a little money. It’s exposure in gathering up that new customer base. I think every restaurant has that success story.” Those in attendance can also enjoy an artisan market and live entertainment, including a performance of Alice@Wonderland by Dewdney Players Group Theatre at the Olde Towne Plaza, Doherty said. “It’s an opportunity to stroll and shop and look at the artisan market and our stores within the downtown as well,” he said. “It’s a great day out - great entertainment and taking it all in with a bite in your mouth.” Doherty said each vendor will have a parking spot, allowing the servers to go back and forth to their restaurants if they’re running low on food. Tickets to sample the food can be purchased in advance at the Okotoks Recreation Centre or Okotoks Art Gallery. Tickets cost $1 each and samples range from one to five tickets. For more details about the event go to www.okotoks.ca
