Mike Waskalik
If everything had gone as planned, Mike Waskalik would probably still have curly locks down to the middle of his back and a modest house along some quiet inlet of the Strait of Georgia, spending his days talking about rain forest preservation and tofu.
But as it turned out, he wasn’t actually meant to be a “long- haired, West Coast hippie,” even though he once hitchhiked across the country in an attempt to do so. Mike Waskalik was meant to be around people, he was meant to lead people and — most importantly — he was meant to motivate people.
And it took a pitstop in southeastern Alberta and the overwhelming passion from a friend to make Waskalik realize the place he was best fit to display his natural attributes was in fact Earls, Medicine Hat.
“My intent was to carry on and get out to the Coast,” says Waskalik.
But he was visiting an old Ontario friend, who’d recently moved to the Gas City and was working for this franchise Waskalik had never heard of before. Having built their friendship at a restaurant back in their hometown of Georgetown, Ont., a carefree, ocean-bound drifter was bombarded by his friend’s love for this Earls.
“The concept at Earls was way different than any other restaurant we’d ever worked in and so he was really, really stoked about it. He just kept talking about it while I was there and I was like, ‘yeah, yeah, that’s great, I want to get to the West Coast.”
Waskalik’s mind really was made
up and after a nice visit it was off to the Coast. Unfortunately, it didn’t take long for him to learn just how lucrative living the easy life in B.C. wasn’t. Out of money, and remembering a buddy’s love for this restaurant back in the Alberta desert, Waskalik made his way back and took a job as a server.
More than 15 years later he is now the majority owner of both Earls on Dunmore Road and the Local Public Eatery downtown, and is one of the most well- known restaurateurs in town, with his establishments heavily involved in large community events and programs, such as Spectrum and the Santa Claus Fund.
“Once I got (to Earls) I bought into their ‘it’s your business’ philosophy and it really played to my strengths,” he says. “I’m a very self-motivated and ambitious person and I just went with it.”
Waskalik quickly excelled in the field, moving up the ladder into management in no time. Having wanted to be an educator early in life, he really felt comfortable in a teaching role and immediately began inspiring others to work with the same passion and drive.
In a business with often- transient staff, being able to motivate those around you is a huge quality and because of that Waskalik has been able to, first, grow Earls, and second, expand to the Local.
A family man now, Waskalik’s life revolves heavily around his teenage daughter, toddler son and new addition. When not at the restaurant or just being a dad, he can also be seen in various Medicine Hat Musical
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Theatre productions, a passion he picked up in 2004 that even led to meeting his wife, Jessica.
He has performed in such productions as Greece, Chicago and West Side Story, and recently directed Footloose, which became the most successful stage production in the community- based theatre group’s 50-year history.
When asked what might pride him the most in all he does, Waskalik spoke of many things but touched specifically on the nearly 120 people he employs.
“That’s a big feeling. That’s 120 paycheques and 120 lives that are being enriched.”
Not to mention, 120 people who won’t have to grow out their hair and move to Nanaimo.
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