Winnipeg Restaurants

[waffler0x]

Would a McDonalds work in the exchange? something along the lines of this in Toronto.. http://www.thestar.com/business/2015...n-station.html

Also of note regarding McDonalds in winnipeg they are all privately owned now every single one so you will be seeing significant upgrades to the ones that have been neglected for the longest time.

[rkspec]

Originally Posted by waffler0x

Also of note regarding McDonalds in winnipeg they are all privately owned now every single one so you will be seeing significant upgrades to the ones that have been neglected for the longest time.

Back in 2011 McDonalds spent a over billion to renovate every restaurant in Candada. Which location are you referring to?

[CoryB]

Originally Posted by esquire

Yeah, that's true... those places didn't exist 6 or 7 years ago, at least not right downtown.

The other big change in the last 6-7 years is the explosion of the single serve coffee brewing market. It used to be that the office coffee was a giant vat that 90% of the people didn't like but drank because it was convenient. Now you can pop in whatever roast is your favourite and quickly have a fresh brewed cup with minimal effort.

--

In terms of McDonalds that have been neglected, McPhillips and Main St both come to mind. They would have last had a significant renovation about 15 years ago. They are definitely not running the current interior program.

[buzzg]

Originally Posted by oftheMoon

Yet in the East Exchange we have independent coffee shops Parlour, Joe & Lily and the Forth within blocks of each other.

Of note, I've been in Forth 2 Saturdays in a row now and it's been very busy. Constant flow of people coming in.

Bronuts too on King. You could probably throw News Cafe in there too even though it lacks hipster cachet.

Originally Posted by CoryB

Been a few years since I was there but the RRC campus on Princess had a full service Tims that seemed to also heavily target that exact market.

It's more of a half-service Tims. More than Essos or MTS locations, but they don't have the full food menu and don't have any of the "espresso" drinks, and a few other things. It's run by Aramark so they probably have a contract that can't force them to integrate new products.

Originally Posted by esquire

I guess the RRC Tim's counts as a chain north of Portage and Main, but I tend to think of locations like that one or the ones in hospitals as mainly "in house", although I guess a lot of city workers are probably hopping over to go there.

As a former student, I actually think during the day they probably had more police and city workers in line then students.

Originally Posted by rkspec

Back in 2011 McDonalds spent a over billion to renovate every restaurant in Candada. Which location are you referring to?

I thought the exact same thing too, but the one on Grant and Pembina probably hasn't been touched since 1994.

Originally Posted by waffler0x

Would a McDonalds work in the exchange? something along the lines of this in Toronto.. http://www.thestar.com/business/2015...n-station.html

I think a McDonalds in the Exchange would do VERY well, but I think a full service one. I'd love to see a few Pret a Manger's open in Winnipeg, they're awesome. Lots of young ppl do eat McDonalds (almost as a joke haha), also if it was open late it would be packed after the bars close, especially in winter.

[rrskylar]

Wish the McDonalds on Henderson near McLeod would re- open soon getting tired of having to make my own coffee or waiting in line for crappy Tim's.

[waffler0x]

All McDonalds in Winnipeg have some sort of renovation they were supposed to all be done by the end of 2013 but they never happened and since they've all been sold off they have until the end of this year to renovated them, the ones that aren't renovated are mcphillips, Keewatin, king Edward, st annes, st James, notre dame, pembina and grant, the 2 on main st, so they'll all be redone inside and out. The one on Mcleod should be opening within the month.

[rkspec]

buzzg you mean the exterior of the MdD's or interior? I moved away from that area last year but i'm pretty sure they had the multi-monitors up as the menu now vs the old peg board when i was last there.

edit: waffler seemed to sum up the McD's renos debate

[oftheMoon]

Has anyone been by that new Mexican resto that's going in the old Gio's on Smith and York? Just wondering how it's progressing.

[Urban recluse]

A storefront McDonald's would be very popular around the Exchange. I could imagine one here:

https://www.google.ca/maps/@49.90003...8i6656!6m1!1e1

[TimeFadesAway]

Originally Posted by Urban recluse

A storefront McDonald's would be very popular around the Exchange. I could imagine one here:

https://www.google.ca/maps/@49.90003...8i6656!6m1!1e1

Or here:

https://www.google.ca/maps/@49.89938...7i13312!8i6656

If it's salvageable.

[buzzg]

Originally Posted by TimeFadesAway

Or here:

https://www.google.ca/maps/@49.89938...7i13312!8i6656

If it's salvageable.

They did the legally necessary upgrades to that building last year. So I'm sure there's some sort of potential in that building still. The space to the right of Miss Browns is still vacant.

[cutchemist42]

Tap and Table in St James is now closed. I originally thought the place had a decent chance of making the amount of money poured in, despite thinking the spot is too big for a bar.

I guess though a friend who knows the manager there that business was so bad in the Summer they considered closing for a month, and the rinky dinky patio was a hail mary by them.

Just know when I went I wasnt too thrilled with the look of the place.

[CoryB]

Tap and Table seemed to misread the area demographics some. They came in with a very young and modern place in a neighbourhood with a lot of seniors as customers. It will be interesting to see what comes of that space now since it seems to be a little jinxed especially after it killed the relatively success Little Brit.

[cutchemist42]

Originally Posted by CoryB

Tap and Table seemed to misread the area demographics some. They came in with a very young and modern place in a neighbourhood with a lot of seniors as customers. It will be interesting to see what comes of that space now since it seems to be a little jinxed especially after it killed the relatively success Little Brit.

Was talking about it with a few others who can remember every iteration of that space going back to the Keg. The work they did was something you might see in a cooler/younger area of the city where that look would go over well. In that area, you have bare-bones bars like Legends that keep on going, and places like Hat Trix are doing fine as well. We kinda thought they over-thought the area, and could have done something simpler than what they did.

We all still thought that like the Jekly&Hyde spot, its just too big to fill consistently and no one likes being in a spacious bar thats not filled.

Now I just wonder what even happens now, as that space is now just 1 year removed from major renovations for a bar, and the costs to reverse that would be big again I'd imagine.

[CoryB]

Talking with the staff at Rustic next door seemed to indicate the demographics of the area definitely skewed towards the older end. I don't know about the owners of Tap and Table but it wouldn't be surprising to learn they are younger and wanted a cooler place for people their own age to hang out in that part of the city. It is definitely something that is missing but I think part of the issue could be the demographic they are chasing has long gone to other parts of the city to find places. I remember back in my younger days how people tended to mostly socialize close to home and there didn't seem to be any obvious place people west of Route 90 went. Not much has changed even to this day.

[Cyro]

Any one familiar with Urban Kitchen & Oyster Bar on York? emphasis on the Oysters.

Wanna drop by when I hit the RBCC later this week...

[The Unknown Poster]

Looks like the Canadian Brewhouse is just about ready to open at the old Los Chicos location near Mongos on Kenaston.

Anyone familiar with this chain? Their menu looks good.

I was at Staples on Pembina HWY and saw the Pizza Hut signs up at their new location next door (in the same strip mall). I assume they are open or opening shortly...

[CoryB]

Originally Posted by Cyro

Any one familiar with Urban Kitchen & Oyster Bar on York? emphasis on the Oysters.

Wanna drop by when I hit the RBCC later this week...

It is the third name on that location and the previous two were highly regarded locally. The name and concept is a fairly recently change so haven't heard much locally yet. That said, seafood in a landlocked area like Winnipeg can be a different experience than if you are used to a costal area. I would still expect good things relative to other experiences in Winnipeg.

[trebor204]

Originally Posted by The Unknown Poster

I was at Staples on Pembina HWY and saw the Pizza Hut signs up at their new location next door (in the same strip mall). I assume they are open or opening shortly...

It has been open for a few weeks now. It's only for pick-up and delivery. There is no dine-in option.

[h0twired]

Originally Posted by CoryB

It is the third name on that location and the previous two were highly regarded locally. The name and concept is a fairly recently change so haven't heard much locally yet. That said, seafood in a landlocked area like Winnipeg can be a different experience than if you are used to a costal area. I would still expect good things relative to other experiences in Winnipeg.

I hate to be pedantic but Manitoba isn't landlocked.