Winnipeg | Restaurants

[Authentic_City]

Originally Posted by CoryB

Also not sure it was on here but the Nook and Cranny on Portage Ave is definitely closed for good. There is a for lease sign up on the building now.

I'm surprised they lasted as long as they did. I like the original Nook on Sherbrook, but the Portage location was never quite right. Tried to go a few times, but never had a good experience -- either the service or the food was off. Also, for such a large restaurant, it always seemed pretty empty.

[CoryB]

For me the big challenge with the Nook and Cranny was the horrid acoustic design of the space. When I went there the place was fairly full and everyone was talking at their table as normal but it was overall so loud my wife and I couldn't hear each other. That is a pretty fundamental issue to get very wrong and not something easily fixed after you open.

[Authentic_City]

I have to say, noise was never the issue when we were there, but I could see it if the place was actually full. Wasn't this location Schmeckers for a long time before the Nook took it over? Did they change the configuration of the space or was the previous place also pretty noisy?

[horrorbro123]

Polo Park Food Court Is Making Changes

[buzzg]

^What a thrilling insight.

[Wolf13]

lol

sniped.

[Bdog]

Originally Posted by horrorbro123

Polo Park Food Court Is Making Changes

Build-a-Burger workshop?

[Chrisforpm]

Chachi’s still has a location in Polo Park listed as coming soon on their website. Wonder if they are finally moving in?

[cheswick]

Originally Posted by Bdog

Build-a-Burger workshop?

[OTA in Winnipeg]

Anyone know what happened to Brioni's? They were one of the better destinations at the food court. No explanation on their Facebook page.

[buzzg]

^Can't be easy being a local independent in a major mall's food court.

[OTA in Winnipeg]

Originally Posted by buzzg

^Can't be easy being a local independent in a major mall's food court.

First they lost their seating area and were now just a storefront then they were gone the next time I was there. It seems almost like they were pushed out.

[LilZebra]

What happens to the west side of the Food Court when/if Sears store is demolished?

Will spaces have to (temporarily) vacate so that demo. work can be done, or can they do this independently?

[buzzg]

Originally Posted by OTA in Winnipeg

First they lost their seating area and were now just a storefront then they were gone the next time I was there. It seems almost like they were pushed out.

Definitely possible, but I can't imagine losing that seating area affected business too much – it's in a food court.

Originally Posted by LilZebra

What happens to the west side of the Food Court when/if Sears store is demolished?

Will spaces have to (temporarily) vacate so that demo. work can be done, or can they do this independently?

It'd be awesome if it was demolished, or second floor rebuilt, so they could blast out that wall and increase the size of the food court. That's gotta be one of the worst food courts I've ever seen in a major mall, especially when you compare it to how big and open St. Vital's is. It's impressive they were able to make a second floor space feel like a dungeon. It's wayyyy too cramped, loud, and small feeling. Also doesn't help at all that one of — if not THE — busiest entrances forces you to walk right through the lines to get into the mall.

[hexrae]

Brioni's in Polo has been gone for a couple years now.

[Roger Strong]

Originally Posted by buzzg

....so they could blast out that wall and increase the size of the food court.

I hope they make an announcement over the intercom first....

[CoryB]

The Sears second floor isn't at the same height as the rest of the mall making repurposing the Sears location a more challenging task. There was some chatter of the retail thread that Hudson Bay may relocate from the smaller space at the north end of the mall into the Sears space. The old Eaton's store would be easier to split up due to the exterior access from the parking decks.

Also I think if you looked at them purely on a square footage basis the Polo Park food court is larger and has more seats than St Vital. The challenge is the perception is it is smaller as Polo is more a square shape while St Vital is long and narrow. I know on my limited visits to St Vital their food court always seems much busier than Polo and I have a way harder time finding a table.

[esquire]

^ Do you think they'll end up renovating/repurposing Sears? With a retail building that old, you would think it would be easier and more economical to simply demolish it and building something new that is fully integrated with the rest of the mall...

[Roger Strong]

Maybe Fortress can replace it with a condo tower.

[CoryB]

I think the big challenge with the Sears space in Polo is the below grade loading dock and warehouse space. Sure it could be repurposed to something else but how do you split up a store over three levels and still have something meaningful in the mostly out of site basement?

If Hudson Bay is moving in they could do heavy renovations to essentially make the space into a new building. The question is would demo + new build result in a cheaper cost v massive renovation to update the existing space.

Either way time will tell.