Why a Victoria restaurant owner chose food over finance
At Coast Capital, we’re not just dreaming about a better future, we’re building one. Our new Elevate Chequing Account comes with premium banking features, plus free access to Coursera’s online learning platform that can help our members advance their careers and potentially get paid more. Our Growth Mindsetters Spotlight Series highlights individuals embracing professional development through their commitment to learning. Learn more about Elevate Chequing and how you can elevate your earning potential at coastcapitalsavings.com/elevate.
Jess Taylor has always had his eye on the prize, but if you were to ask him, he’d admit that sometimes, it’s not quite as rewarding as you’d hoped for.
In his 20s, Taylor ran around various bars and restaurants in Victoria, working toward what he thought was his dream job in finance. In 2009, that dream became a reality when he moved to Vancouver to work at a trading desk for a foreign exchange brokerage.
It seemed like Taylor was living the life: hopping on private jets, living in a penthouse in downtown Vancouver, and making good money. “Those are all the trademarks of what people consider happy, and I certainly wasn’t.”
It was an illuminating experience – but not the one he hoped for.
“Finance was always my desire — I grew up watching the movies and thinking that was something to strive for,” Taylor told Daily Hive. “But being on the other side of it, it wasn’t ethical for me.”
Two years in, he was significantly discouraged and disillusioned by the culture of finance. “The more clients you have, then the more money you make. The more your bosses are happy,” he said. “I was encouraged to do whatever it took to make money.”
According to Taylor, it was the hush-hush attitudes, backroom deals, and duplicity that really got to him — it’s the opposite of how he wanted to serve people. He said he’s never been so anxious in his life than when he was working in finance.
- You might also like:
- 5 of the most remote restaurants and bars on Vancouver Island
- Financial literacy expert makes $20k/month giving advice on TikTok
So, in 2012, Taylor quit, and in the interim, his friend got him a job at Rodney’s Oyster House in Vancouver — a renowned oyster house that started in Toronto and has grown into a country-wide leader in seafood.
“Your day is always brightened by the people you serve and the crew you work with,” Taylor said. “You meet so many people. There’s always this great energy [when you’re working hospitality]. And you never take work home with you.”
At Rodney’s, Taylor was back in his bartending wheelhouse, but he knew nothing of seafood.
“Ending up at Rodney’s was by happenstance, and it changed my life,” he said. It’s brought me so much peace and happiness … sometimes life isn’t about the big things in life; it’s about the little things – that’s how you stand out. Whether that’s oysters, finance, or life.”
View this post on Instagram
It was sink or swim, so he learned the ins and outs of sourcing oysters locally and abroad and how to bring both character and education to people who so often have a narrow view of seafood.
After a few “amazing” years at Rodney’s, Taylor was ready to return to Vancouver Island — with a newfound inspiration. So, the Comox Valley kid packed his bags and moved back to Victoria with the intention of bringing a bit of Rodney’s to Victoria.
“Shellfish isn’t widely known [on the West Coast of Canada] — which is weird to me,” he said. “[Victoria] could be the gateway to seafood for Canada, but people don’t really understand that yet.”
Between jobs bartending at Saint Frank’s and CANOE, Taylor started working on his passion project: The Wandering Mollusk.
View this post on Instagram
If you lived in Victoria in the past nine years, you may have spotted Taylor shucking oysters around town.
The pop-up restaurant wandered around Vancouver Island and focused on sourcing local oysters from the Pacific Northwest. He called it a “West Coast seafood experience,” and the pop-up became a fixture on patios, weddings, and private events. Douglas Magazine listed The Wandering Mollusk as one of 10 to watch in 2016.
After nine years, Taylor outgrew his shell, and this past fall, Taylor opened a restaurant in downtown Victoria: Shuck Taylor’s.
“Owning a business is a different anxiousness [compared to finance],” he said. “Building something that’s yours — that you believe in — is different. You’re allowed to feel the anxiousness of that.”
Shuck Taylor’s is a combination of the Wandering Mollusk and Rodney’s: an extensive wine list, lobster rolls, seafood buckets at the table, oysters from the Pacific Northwest as well as the world (such as the Belon oyster from France), and most of all, fantastic service.
View this post on Instagram
It’s been a long journey — but a well-thought-out one on Taylor’s part.
He’s got even bigger plans for Shuck Taylor’s, and he’s also got great advice for anyone looking to make a shift in careers like he has.
“Audit yourself and see what works,” he said. “I audit myself every year and write out what worked and what didn’t every year.”
It’s a risk to run a restaurant these days — he knows that. But the risk is worth the reward for Taylor. “Sometimes you need to do [a] dream job to realize it’s not the job you wanted,” he said. “And that’s ok. There’s lots of dreams out there to follow.”