40 » OpenRoad Driver
Moving back to Surrey and Langley,
their old stomping grounds, they began
opening new pubs and restaurants, always
focusing first on the guest experience.
“Our barometer is the question: what
would the guest want to experience? That’s
our guiding principle,” Moreno says. The
strategy worked. Combining innovative
food and drink in a trendy, stylish, casual-
upscale environment, JRG created super-
popular venues that remain successful
today.
Successful entrepreneurs always keep one
eye firmly on the future, and Moreno
and Bourque are no exception. Clover 67,
their 40-seat chef-driven restaurant that
will launch later this year, will change its
décor, menu and entire concept every three
months, keeping things fresh, interesting
and in flux. Meal Ticket Brands launched
in Spring 2019, a third-party delivery
service offered on Skip The Dishes. “With
Meal Ticket we opened 100 virtual
restaurants in one day, with food offerings
including our famous Master Chicken
and our Stak’d Sandwiches,” he says.
“With these virtual restaurants, our brick
and mortar restaurants now have an extra
stream of revenue in a time when delivery
is significantly disrupting the industry.”
A hallmark of the Joseph Richard Group
is innovation and staying ahead of the
game. So for Moreno, with a taxing work
schedule and so many projects on the go,
OpenRoad’s Portfolio car subscription
service made perfect sense. He was thrilled
to be one of the early subscribers and is
loving the flexibility and convenience of
switching cars at a moment’s notice. “You
always have a high-tier vehicle at your
disposal and you can choose which one
you want based on your needs,” he says. So
far he’s opted for a BMW X5, a Mercedes
GLC 63 S AMG and a Porsche Cayenne.
“The Portfolio team moves my kids’ car
seats from one vehicle to another when we
switch over,” he says. “For busy executives,
it’s so convenient not to have to worry
about anything car-related, be it rock chips,
brakes, maintenance or oil changes. And
Portfolio’s partnership with Gateway Valet
at YVR International Airport means you
can leave your car at the valet and have it
waiting for you when you return, without
even paying for parking. I’ve been blown
away by this service.”
Though he loves fast cars and the lifestyle
that comes with success, Moreno remains
humble, modest, unassuming and deeply
committed to his community. Four years
ago he participated in a Sleep Out through
Covenant House, where he and other
executives spent a night sleeping outdoors
in a Vancouver back alley to raise awareness
and funds for youth homelessness. Since
then, he has participated each year
and opened up the opportunity to his
1,000-member staff. “It’s important to me
that charitable work be part of the DNA
of our company, and for us to be involved
in our communities in many different ways,
from fundraisers to sponsorships, to show
our appreciation of and commitment to the
guests that take time to visit us,” he says
earnestly.
Last year 200 staff members participated
and the Sleep Out raised $1 million. His
goal is for 800 to participate in the years to
come. “If they participate, I think the Sleep
Out will be the one thing my staff will
always remember our company for – and I
think that would be a fantastic legacy,” he
declares.