Karen Roland & RD Stewart

Karen Roland moved to Whistler in October of 1988 at 20 years of age. She only intended to stay for a ski season, however 35 years later she owns a pub, bistro, and liquor store in Whistler.
Karen started working for Ron ‘Hoz’ Hosner in December of 1993 as a hostess in his restaurant Florentyna’s.

She eventually moved into Hoz’s Pub as a waitress and bartender and assisted Hoz’s wife Debbie with the bookkeeping.

In 2007 when Hoz wanted to sell the business, Karen convinced her parents that this was a once in a lifetime opportunity. She took over on May 1, 2008. Initially the restaurant space was a BBQ joint, but after 5 years it wasn’t profitable, so a change was needed.

Karen approached RD Stewart in the summer of 2013 to help her recreate the restaurant space.
A minor renovation was done to the space, and with the culinary stylings and reputation of Executive Chef RD Stewart, the Red Door Bistro quickly became a popular dining establishment that was off the beaten path of Whistler Village. The Red Door Bistro owes its success to RD Stewart, Karen only claims credit for convincing him to partner up with her ????

RD Stewart graduated from George Brown Hospitality and Culinary College.

His early Whistler culinary career included stages at many iconic Whistler restaurants including
Trattoria and Il Caminetto di Umberto. R.D. moved on to La Rua Restaurante and learned French techniques under Tim Muelbauer, ultimately taking over the helm as Executive Chef, working closely with owner and restauranteur Mario Enero for 14 years.

When La Rua shut its doors in 2012, R.D. embarked on a culinary adventure to the Okanagan with stints at Quail’s Gate, Nk’ mip, and Burrowing Owl wineries where his appreciation of farm to table cooking and use of local produce from farms and orchards deepened. He then returned to Whistler as Executive Sous Chef to James Walt at Araxi.

Given the opportunity to re-imagine a small bistro space, R.D. opened the Red Door Bistro with Karen Roland in December 2013. The cuisine is a blend of West Coast local and farm fresh ingredients with a French style twist, along with impeccable service and a wine list curated to highlight BC wineries.