With a world class reputation already built up in the community, the Charcoal Group of Restaurants has been catering to celebrities, business meetings and family gatherings for over fifty years. Ask anybody, and they’ll tell you how amazing the food is at the Charcoal Steak House, del Dente, Martini’s and Wildcraft; but what not everyone knows, is that this group of restaurants also caters to brides and offers a low stress, non-traditional and contemporary atmosphere for weddings.

Priding themselves on their friendly, professional service from start to finish, the Charcoal Group is known for doing whatever possible to make their guests happy and say they are willing to go the extra mile for their guests. Not only does the Charcoal Group offer four different restaurants for rehearsal dinners, reception locations and post-wedding brunches, but each restaurant also offers tons of customized food options to appease even the fussiest guests, already great décor and a flexible attitude that has local brides raving about what they can do for weddings. So, we met with the Event Coordinators for each restaurant, Jennifer Appleby Vines, Dianne Balmer and Stephanie Lawrence, to find out just how these already popular restaurants can host fabulous weddings, too. Here’s what we discovered…

A history in the community…

The Charcoal Group’s history began fifty years ago when Del and Ortha Wideman purchased a struggling forty seat eatery and turned it into a success. Building up a clientele of loyal guests with their quality food and warm hospitality, they were eventually able to move into a 650 seat Charcoal Steak House that stands today as a K-W landmark. In 1991, sons Tim and Tom Wideman bought the business and vowed to continue their parents' pursuit of exceeding guest expectations.

In 1993, Martini's opened, which was followed two years later by del Dente – all three restaurants are in the same building in Kitchener. Wildcraft Grill Bar opened in 2007 in Waterloo, which has already been a resounding success. But the success doesn’t end there as The Bauer Kitchen is expected to open late in 2009 in the heart of Waterloo.

Proving their world classiness, we were told of just some of the recent celebrities who have dined at the Charcoal Group’s restaurants, including Julianne Moore, Sarah Ferguson (the Duchess of York), assorted NHL players and coaches, like Doug Gilmour and Todd Bertuzzi, the Barenaked Ladies and back in the day – Alice Cooper and Liberace.

It’s no wonder that the Charcoal Group has received many awards, including:
• Wine Spectator Magazine Award of Excellence
• VQA (Vintner’s Quality Alliance) Award of Excellence

The Record Readers’ Select Awards 2009:
• Best Brunch – Charcoal Steak House, 1st place
• Best Dinner Special Occasion – Wildcraft, 1st place
• Best Fine Dining – Charcoal, 1st place, Wildcraft, 2nd place
• Best Italian Dining – del Dente, 2nd place
• Best Martini – Martini’s, 1st place, Wildcraft, 2nd place
• Best Mediterranean –del Dente, 1st place
• Best Steak House – Charcoal, 2nd place

Personally speaking…

Jennifer Appleby Vines is one of the Event Coordinators for the Charcoal Steak House, Martini’s and del Dente. She comes with eighteen years in the hospitality industry, two of which were in the Events Department at Charcoal and five at Charcoal altogether. “I get a kick out of putting all the event details together,” she told The Ring. “We’re all proud to be a part of it, particularly with the Charcoal Group of Restaurants, which has such high standards.”

Jennifer also works with Dianne Balmer, who is the other Event Coordinator. She has twenty-five years of experience in restaurant, hospitality and event planning, the last seven of which have been with the Charcoal Group. She says she loves meeting new people and getting to know them as part of her line of work.

Stephanie Lawrence, the Event Coordinator at Wildcraft, has six years of experience with the Charcoal Group and has been in her current role for the past year and a half. She told us she also loves being a part of couples’ special day. “And I love knowing that I helped to make it great,” she adds.

Aside from these three ladies, the Service Manager and Server Captain are also a part of your wedding day with the Charcoal Group and are in charge of executing the event. The Chef de Cuisine also executes the food service, after meeting with the Event Coordinator to be briefed on all the details, of course.

All of the managers, server captains and chefs associated with weddings and events have at least three years of experience in executing group functions, Jennifer says.

In the last year alone, the Charcoal Group has hosted over sixty weddings or post-wedding events and over fifty rehearsal events. And still, with the new season of weddings coming up, Jennifer says their passion for the job never falters. “When a bride or a groom calls to thank you for helping them have the best day of their life, knowing you had a part in such a momentous occasion is very inspiring.”

Unparalleled service…

Jennifer told us that people who book their weddings at the Charcoal Group of Restaurants come from all walks of life – all ages and backgrounds, but one thing is common: “They want a low stress planning process, with the confidence that the meal and service will be second to none. They are looking for a non-traditional occasion, relaxed yet contemporary.”

Christine Rock-Cressman was one such bride who knew she didn’t have to worry about the level of quality at the Charcoal Steak House, having been a fan of the restaurant for years. She held her intimate, fifty person reception in the Estate Room on September 19, 2009 and told us that working with Dianne was excellent. “She was very prompt returning calls and emails and took care of all the little details… We literally did not have to worry about anything but picking what we wanted and showing up.” She adds that the entire staff at Charcoal was amazing.

Since each bride is different and every wedding is unique, Jennifer says they specialize in customization and flexibility, always willing to go the extra mile for their guests, which is something that Carol Marttini Stewart can vouch for. She held her April 2009 ceremony and reception in the private Tavola room at the Charcoal Steak House and says that Jennifer and the Charcoal Group bent over backwards to achieve what she wanted. “They offered an unparalleled level of customer service that never wavered, from start to finish,” she says. “Jennifer was in touch with me on a regular basis, made wonderful suggestions about things I hadn’t thought of and everyone treated us professionally, yet as though we’d known each other for a while.” Carol adds that the value she received far exceeded her expectations. “It was evident in how well trained their staff was and how pleasantly and efficiently they all performed their functions… Jennifer made the entire process stress free.”

Rooms fit for royalty…

At the Charcoal Group, there are many options available to you whether you’re hosting your shower, rehearsal dinner, bachelorette, bachelor party, brunch or reception. Not only do they have four separate restaurants, but within those restaurants there are also many separate rooms – both private and semi-private, with their own great décor and customized menus.

Carol says that the venue created the feeling of intimacy she and her husband were looking for. “Plus it wasn’t a cookie cutter service they offered.” She adds that the Tavola room at the Charcoal had all the earmarks of a trendy, sophisticated, contemporary big-city venue. “The style of the room is an upscale, contemporary wine cellar, with rich woods, stacked stone walls, rich wood floors and earth tone colours.”

Since there are so many options, you should check with the Event Coordinator for the restaurant you’re interested in for specifics, but to give you an example…

The Charcoal Steak House has several rooms available. The Boardroom is a private room that can seat from eight to thirty guests and has a minimum spending range of $350 to $1000 – depending on day, amount of people and meal you plan to serve.

You can also book the private Estate Room at Charcoal, which has a fireplace and seats twenty-five to eighty guests, ranging in price from $500 to $2000. Charcoal also offers smaller semi private rooms as well and the option of renting audio-visual equipment.

Christine says that the Estate Room was the perfect size for her group of fifty people – not too crowded, but very intimate. “The room was beautiful,” she adds. “We didn't have to do any decorating.” She also says that the prices were reasonable and had no hidden costs. “The value we received was definitely worth it.”

Scott and Sherry Dekker raved about the helpful staff at the Charcoal where they held their August 2009 afternoon wedding lunch. “They answered all my questions in full, were kind and courteous and spent a lot of time with us.” Sherry adds that the rooms at the Charcoal were cozy and intimate, which was exactly what mood they wanted for their wedding.

At Wildcraft, our favourite part is that you can book the private Studio, which opens up to its own private patio. Seasonally, The Studio can seat up to forty-two guests and has a minimum spending range from $500 to $1200

The Den (private) and The Lounge (semi-private) are also available at Wildcraft.

All of the Charcoal Group’s restaurants have the option of full restaurant buyouts if you still want the atmosphere but have more guests. Charcoal can fit 300 guests, Martini’s 120 guests, del Dente 200 guests and Wildcraft fits 120 in the dining room. If you do a full buyout, you can also bring in a DJ, which is not available when you book only one of the rooms.

Kimberly and Jonathan Scratch had such a great experience planning their October 2009 wedding ceremony and reception with the Charcoal Group of Restaurants that they ended up hosting pre and post-wedding events at the same facility. “We were treated exceptionally for each event in terms of service and food,” they told us. Kimberly and Jonathan rented out the entire del Dente restaurant and say that the dance portion of the evening was especially a hit with the guests. “Because we had the whole restaurant, we were able to make a dance floor and play the music loudly.”

Picture this… Dinner in the Studio at Wildcraft with a first dance at sunset on your own private patio; or an intimate ceremony in one of the smaller private rooms, followed immediately by a champagne toast and a fabulous meal. A wedding lunch for 100 with a customized menu; or how about a whole restaurant exclusive for you and your guests, ceremony, dinner and dancing. Descend the spiral staircase at del Dente for your wedding procession, then host an intimate cocktail and hors d’oeuvres reception in a beautiful private room.

Truly an all in one location, wedding guests also receive special discounts at the Radisson, which is across from del Dente.

Food to die for…

One of our favourite things about the Charcoal Group is that they offer their brides the ability to present their guests with a menu of selections for their wedding. Guests can pick from a menu (designed to match your wedding and printed by Charcoal) of several appetizers, entrees and desserts. Plus, if you don’t see what you’re looking for on their menu, just ask. They told us that they are more than happy to accommodate whenever possible.

“The chef customized the menu for us – what more can you ask for?” say Kimberly and Jonathan. “We were able to hand pick what we wanted and didn’t have to select from a predefined menu.”

Such was also the case for Carol whose reception was at del Dente, but she was still able to incorporate some menu items from Charcoal. What she liked best about the options at the Charcoal was the flexibility in them, “the high calibre cuisine and menu choices, and if they didn’t have an option I was looking for, they created it for me,” she says. “The food was a work of art. It looked beautiful, it smelled divine and the taste of everything was sublime. A delight to all of the senses. Everyone was commenting on it.”

If you’re from the area, then we’re sure we don’t need to tell you how amazing the food is at any of the Charcoal restaurants. Check out their menus online, or talk to the Event Coordinators about your own personalized menu.

What else is included…

• As many personal meetings with the Event Coordinator as necessary
• Set-up and teardown of the event
• Any audio visual needs can be supplied
• Printed menus with a personalized message or title
• Carefully crafted cuisine
• World class service
• Beautifully appointed private rooms – no need to decorate!
• The ability to create your own signature wedding cocktail
• The ability to set-up the bar arrangements in whatever way is suitable for you and your budget – open bar, no bar, wine only, two drinks per person – anything goes!
• The option of having the ceremony, pictures and meal all under one roof

Details, details, details

• Charges for functions are based on the food and beverage sales before tax and gratuity, with minimum prices available – no minimum rental fee is charged unless the min. sales aren’t met.
• No deposit or cancellation fee is required.
• Full payment is due when the function is over.
• A guest count is required at least 48 hours before the event.
• Bookings are made on a first come, first serve basis so contact the Event Coordinator as soon as you know you want to book one of the Charcoal’s restaurants.
• All restaurants are wheelchair accessible.

Contacting Charcoal Group of Restaurants

Jennifer Appleby Vines at Charcoal Group can be reached by email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or by phone at 519-893-1323. Dianne Balmer can be contacted at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and also at 519-893-1323. For Wildcraft bookings, Stephanie Lawrence can be contacted at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 519-885-0117. You can also visit Charcoal Group online at www.charcoalgroup.ca.