Trenton Wilzer-Jones is the General Manager of Chop Steakhouse & Bar, an upscale and delicious restaurant on Hunt Club Road. While we were fans of the restaurant already, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Ottawa is now fortunate enough to directly benefit from Trenton’s infectious generosity and hospitality, as he reached out wanting to do something special to support our work offering mentoring programs to underprivileged youth.

Quickly, he has become a champion of our work, and has some exciting things planned, including a breakfast celebration on December 5, fully funded by Chop, to show appreciation to fellow Ottawa business leaders who have stepped up to support our work. 

Trenton is a sommelier and has led a successful career in the restaurant business, having had the opportunity to open and manage restaurants across North America, including here in Ottawa, where he moved almost 20 years ago. He had a direct hand in the success of such Ottawa establishments as Moxies, Milestones, Cornerstone Bar & Grill, and Jack Astor’s before opening Chop — a restaurant he is clearly proud of — in 2017.

A mentor in his own right, he has hired more than 3000 staff throughout his career, and has found it to be a “humbling experience” to help so many individuals move forward in life, from enabling them to pay their way through university to inspiring them to further grow their careers in the hospitality industry. Trenton’s desire to be there for others extends from his staff and into the community, where he has taken pride in being able to help underprivileged youth when and where he can. This empathy for kids going through challenging circumstances no doubt stems from his appreciation for all his Mom did for him and his brother, raising them on her own in Winnipeg.

“Having a mentor from Big Brothers Big Sisters would have been wonderful growing up,” Trenton said. “My Mom raised us on her own and worked a lot to make sure our family had what we needed to stay in the right direction, and my brother is seven years older, so he was really in a different phase than I was and did the best he could under the circumstances he was going through himself. Many youth need an extra hand to help them know where they’re going. They may have parents, but having another caring adult to help guide them is wonderful.”

One thing that Trenton clearly likes about our youth mentorship programs is that the relationship can last for a long time. For matches that successfully last one full year, the majority of them often continue on for years to come.

“What I really appreciate about the Big Brothers Big Sisters model is that the relationship doesn’t have to end,” he said. “The friendship can last for years and years, which to me is important, as it offers the ability to help that person to the next level in life, time and time again.” 

Supporting the community comes naturally to Trenton, and the way he speaks about it, you get the sense that he feels it is a remedy to modern challenges.

“If you look back hundreds of years, they had it right: friends, family, community. It’s a hard world right now, and we need to look at what we are giving in terms of our time and money, and ask ourselves: could we give more to make that change we want to see?” 

As for Chop, Trenton welcomes you and yours to their beautiful (“but fun!”) restaurant for your next meal out, noting with excitement that it’s a hidden gem for lunch, being the only Ottawa steakhouse open midday year-round.

Naturally, he recommends the steak. 

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