Thomas Waite has a tall order for his new restaurant, Spruce on Wellington.

“In my first year I want to be the No. 1 restaurant in London. In the second year, I want to be in the top 20 in Canada,” said the 29-year-old chef.

Spruce on Wellington is set to open Jan. 27 in newly renovated space at 731 Wellington St. near Piccadilly Street, a building that housed Willie’s Cafe for 33 years until it closed last October.

Waite said London’s restaurants are often overshadowed in the culinary guides by those in Toronto or Stratford, which are fuelled by the tourist trade.

He’s confident there’s a market in London for a high-end landmark restaurant, but he is aware of the risks. The Only on King, a London restaurant that gained a national reputation, shut down in November.

Waite said Spruce on Wellington will be small — just 32 seats and 22 on the back patio in summer — so he and chef Troy Klungel can prepare most of the meals and meet the guests. Prices for entrees will range from about $25 to $48.

He said the restaurant not only will offer exceptional cuisine, but also often serve it in spectacular fashion with a method known as molecular gastronomy: a presentation with special effects like dry ice fog.

“I want a restaurant that people can’t get a reservation for,” he said.

He’s already got a start on that. Spruce on Wellington will not start taking reservations officially until Monday, but the first few nights are almost fully booked through word of mouth.

Waite was born and raised in London and starting working at Joe Kool’s at 15. He graduated from the culinary program at Fanshawe College, getting his credentials as a Red Seal chef.

After graduation, he worked at a series of local restaurants. In 2010, he started In Home Chef, which caters special events with the cooking done in the client’s home. Waite said he will continue to operate it.

He also launched his own line of sauces, which are sold at Remark stores in London and Windsor.

Waite is finishing up renovations to the former Willie’s space, with his parents, Greg and Evelyn Waite, pitching in.

Brimming with energy, Waite said he is intent on becoming London’s premier restaurateur. “I want to be that guy. It’s my life, I’m putting everything I have into it.”

hdaniszewski@postmedia.com

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