Winnipeg | Restaurants

[StNorberter]

Originally Posted by CoryB

Sal's used to have a number of higher profile locations in downtown. The last was one block east of where Hydro now is. I am guessing the low interest and high cost of rent drove them out. It speaks volumes though when Subway can make a go of it on almost every street corner downtown but Sal's can't.

Not really. Different demographic, different labour costs,different food costs. Can't really compare the two.

[CoryB]

Still stand by it, Sal's costs (food, labour, etc) are simply too high to make a go of it in downtown, especially with a demographic that rarely comes downtown now that they are all retired and living in the suburbs.

[StNorberter]

Originally Posted by CoryB

Still stand by it, Sal's costs (food, labour, etc) are simply too high to make a go of it in downtown, especially with a demographic that rarely comes downtown now that they are all retired and living in the suburbs.

Well, yeah.

But to suggest that they should be able to if Subway can? That's like saying if McDonalds can offer drive thru, why can't The Keg?

[rrskylar]

Originally Posted by Riverman

Tried Have a Nice Day today. Cold weiners and stale buns. Tots with pico were good though.

Can't see it lasting, seems more like a hangout than anything else. People sitting in there using the wifi drinking Starbucks coffee.

Had a nice Polish dog at Costco today, came with little containers of onions, sauerkraut and hot peppers, condiments like ketchup, mustard and relish were available for free. For $1.50 for the dog I also got a drink with unlimited refills!

[esquire]

Originally Posted by rrskylar

Had a nice Polish dog at Costco today, came with little containers of onions, sauerkraut and hot peppers, condiments like ketchup, mustard and relish were available for free. For $1.50 for the dog I also got a drink with unlimited refills!

But you had to go to COSTCO to get it!

[BAKGUY]

Originally Posted by CoryB

The similar Pizza Hotline in Winnipeg Square is always packed too with long lines. It has, in my opinion, a superior stone fired oven v the convenor toaster oven setup at Za.

Sal's used to have a number of higher profile locations in downtown. The last was one block east of where Hydro now is. I am guessing the low interest and high cost of rent drove them out. It speaks volumes though when Subway can make a go of it on almost every street corner downtown but Sal's can't.

Like Pizza Hotline, Subway also used very low quality loose meat..

Za and Sal's have better grade meats for example.
I still prefer my pizza from local independent places but seems so many just do not seem to care about quality ingredients.
Sal's has more expenses to incur and not as mass produced as Subway for example, line assembly.

[buzzg]

Getting a little off topic now but in a recent test of Canadian fast food chicken, Subway's "chicken" was found to be 42-53% chicken, with most of the rest being soy. No other restaurant was less than 84%. That's... disgusting.

[rrskylar]

Originally Posted by buzzg

Getting a little off topic now but in a recent test of Canadian fast food chicken, Subway's "chicken" was found to be 42-53% chicken, with most of the rest being soy. No other restaurant was less than 84%. That's... disgusting.

So how in the hell do you even call it chicken? Chicken flavoured soy is more like it!

[LilZebra]

Originally Posted by rrskylar

Had a nice Polish dog at Costco today, came with little containers of onions, sauerkraut and hot peppers, condiments like ketchup, mustard and relish were available for free. For $1.50 for the dog I also got a drink with unlimited refills!

Are you sure you weren't maybe at a 7-Eleven? Sounds like their hot dogs.

7-Eleven hot dogs are good and cheap, and flavourful, but they could use a bit more spice. ... Maybe sriracha sauce would do the trick.

[wags_in_the_peg]

Originally Posted by BAKGUY

Like Pizza Hotline, Subway also used very low quality loose meat..

Za and Sal's have better grade meats for example.
I still prefer my pizza from local independent places but seems so many just do not seem to care about quality ingredients.
Sal's has more expenses to incur and not as mass produced as Subway for example, line assembly.

you want quality ingredient pizza and willing to pay for it? try Van Goes on St. Mary's, great thin crust goodness.

[borkborkbork]

Originally Posted by rrskylar

So how in the hell do you even call it chicken? Chicken flavoured soy is more like it!

I think they found it was actually <1% soy when they got proper analytical labs with food testing expertise to do it. The "85% soy" thing came out of some university genetics lab that wasn't really appropriate to the task

[OTA in Winnipeg]

Originally Posted by borkborkbork

I think they found it was actually <1% soy when they got proper analytical labs with food testing expertise to do it. The "85% soy" thing came out of some university genetics lab that wasn't really appropriate to the task

The 85% was what the other restaurants were found to have "at least" of chicken.
Marketplace tested numerous samples from Subway with all giving the same result being 42-53% chicken. Subway continues to claim otherwise:
http://www.cbc.ca/marketplace/blog/company-responses-chicken

[CoryB]

Originally Posted by BAKGUY

Like Pizza Hotline, Subway also used very low quality loose meat..

Za and Sal's have better grade meats for example.
I still prefer my pizza from local independent places but seems so many just do not seem to care about quality ingredients.
Sal's has more expenses to incur and not as mass produced as Subway for example, line assembly.

Za and Pizza Hotline are both local independent places. That said, having been to both the quality of the meat is very comparable between them, both are using fairly low grade deli meat as most of their choices. For the price range they are it that isn't overly surprising though, at least they don't have a stupid mark up on the items like Crust in Polo Park does.

In terms of Sal's v Subway - my point is that what Sal's is doing as a whole doesn't work for the downtown market for whatever reasons. There is clearly lots of cash out there on quick service foods as Subway, Starbucks and Tim Hortons all prove. If Sal's wanted to compete they could but they would need to tighten things up on the cost side or negotiate a sweetheart lease deal.

[borkborkbork]

Originally Posted by OTA in Winnipeg

The 85% was what the other restaurants were found to have "at least" of chicken.
Marketplace tested numerous samples from Subway with all giving the same result being 42-53% chicken. Subway continues to claim otherwise:
http://www.cbc.ca/marketplace/blog/company-responses-chicken

More here at Ars Technica, but it sounds like the DNA approach isn't really suited to the task CBC put it to...

[OTA in Winnipeg]

Originally Posted by borkborkbork

More here at Ars Technica, but it sounds like the DNA approach isn't really suited to the task CBC put it to...

Thanks for that. It does make me wonder what other fill is with their reconstituted chicken though. I've never had their chicken but the reaction from the testers to the appearance and taste was unmistakable.
http://www.cbc.ca/marketplace/episodes/2015-2016/chicken

[jmt18325]

The oven roasted chicken is very bland. Their other chicken is different.

[rkspec]

Originally Posted by buzzg

No other restaurant was less than 84%. That's... disgusting.

chicken nuggets are 40-50% meat, ~57% fat.

google as my source

[CoryB]

Does anyone have a link to the website for Pronto Pizzeria by the new outlet mall? Looks like they are open but far too many places with names like Pronto Pizza to get decent results from Google. Looked like they were open.

[Wolf13]

Sorry, are some of us in here actually arguing FOR Sals? Claiming it is above Subway?

I've never seen a brand die a slower, sadder death than Sals.

It's like once a decade they hold a critical marketing meeting, posing the question "how do we stay relevant?", unanimously answered, "It's Winnipeg, and we're Sal's! We can be 🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵!"

Sals was in a good position to move with the market as a Winnipeg institution. What is is now was good 40 years back but there are a number of things it should have aspired to be since. It's embarassing that we've propped them up as a Winnipeg institution.

Subway? I can atleast buy the convenience and familiarity argument, although I wouldn't let my neighbours dog eat there.

[Urban recluse]

Brazen Hall to open Monday
Brewpub has nods to legacy of Round Table

http://www.winnipegsun.com/2017/03/15/brazen-hall-to-open-monday