From left to right: Scott Breard – Executive Director of DiRoNA, John Turner – Former Prime Minister of Canada, and John Arena – Founder of DiRoNA
On October 28, 2016, DiRōNA awarded restaurant Carisma on King Street in Toronto, ON hosted lunch for DiRōNA Executive Director Scott Breard, former Canadian Prime Minister The Right Honourable John Turner, and DiRōNA founder John Arena.
John Arena owned Winstons Restaurant in Toronto, ON from 1966 until 1992. He revived the restaurant and brought it to fame – by the early 1980s, Winston’s was the dining place for Peter C. Newman’s fabled “Canadian Establishment” of power brokers. Winston’s Restaurant was one of the original Holiday Travel Award winners, which later became DiRoNA.
Of Winston’s 23 tables, up to 13 were permanently booked. A select number of patrons, notably politician John Turner, had private phone lines installed at their tables. (Source: https://torontoist.com/2011/08/historicist_winstonswhere_celebrities_meet_to_eat/)
John Tuner was the 17th Prime Minister of Canada and is a personal friend of John Arena. Scott Breard is the current Executive Director of DiRoNA – Distinguished Restaurants of North America and joined them for lunch.