Back in the late 1990s, John Neate had a brilliant idea: “Why not open a coffee shop and take on Starbucks?” You might wonder: why would he? John’s answer: “Well, I’m competitive.” 

There are moments you measure your life by, as in before and after. For Danny Sitnam, that day was late August in 1977. He was working as a line cook at the Owl and Oarsman up on a hill overlooking Vancouver.