[Spring2008]

Say goodbye to Lido Cafe, and hello to Lido 2.0

Always cherished and cheap, Lido Café closing after seven decades

By Mike Morrison Share this Article

Over the next couple of weeks, you’ll hear lots of people waxing-nostalgic about the Lido Cafe.

That’s because, after more than 70 years, the small diner along 10th St. NW will be closing its doors at the end of April to make room for a new condo development. To run a business that long in Calgary is truly remarkable.

Before Stampede Wrestling, there was the Lido Cafe. Before the population of the city was even 100,000 people, there was the Lido Cafe. The fact that the diner has survived the threat of franchises, food trends and the onslaught of foodies equipped with Instagram, is truly remarkable.

If you’ve never been, some of the diner’s most popular dishes are the Chinese combo special ($8.95), the burger ($4.25), the breakfast special ($6.38) and the chocolate shake ($4.95). If those prices seem incredibly low to you, that’s because you’re probably not used to seeing affordable food.

Calgary’s recent surge in cool and trendy restaurants has left many people like me, who love to eat, but don’t want to be poor because of it, without very many options.

Of course it’s good to eat organic, locally grown and whatever deconstructed food is, but sometimes, I just don’t want to.

Instead, I want to pay $7.95 for a meal that I can split in two and have the rest for lunch the next day. I want a place that I can afford and not feel guilty about the next day. I’ve always thought it was strange to regularly spend a lot of money on food, because not matter how much you spend, you still wake up hungry the next day.

The most expensive dish on Lido Cafe’s menu? The sirloin Steak, which for $14.95 comes with fries, vegetables, soup, a roll and dessert. For an extra $3.75, you can throw in a cold beer.

While I’m incredibly sad for the loss of the Lido Cafe, I’m excited for what another condo development means for the area that I’ve called home for the past six years. Fans of the neighbourhood will be happy to know that the new condo development will adopt both Lido’s name and the historic sign that has hung above 10th St. for decades.

For an area like Kensington to thrive and survive, it needs to welcome new condos. With people all moved into Pixel and St John’s Tenth Street ready to open any day, the Lido building will bring even more people to one of the city’s oldest neighbourhoods. With more people comes more business, something that’s already reflected in the handful of new urban-friendly businesses that have opened up in the area, including a spin studio, a poutinerie, a cheese shop and a rollerblade store.

On the Lido Cafe’s final weekend, a special art show featuring the work of Melanie Aikenhead, will highlight the history of the Lido Cafe.

And, a few days later, the Lido Cafe will close its doors forever. So that means we have a month to say thanks. Thanks for the unforgettable atmosphere, the expansive and sometimes odd menu, but most importantly thanks for working hard to make sure that I, and thousands of other Calgarians, always had a delicious and affordable place to eat.

http://metronews.ca/voices/in-defence-of...p-lido-cafe-closing-after-seven-decades/