Winnipeg Restaurants - Page 164

esquire · #1 Posted **Mar 21, 2017, 7:34 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by cutchemist42

Just to add to the coffee talk but when it comes to the big brands, I prefer McDs than Tims than Starbucks. (I drink my coffee black)

Just saw on Brent Bellamy's Twitter the food court at Portage and Main is closing. That location was really becoming sad....just always feels dark and dated in there.

A new Winnipeg Square food court is a very pleasant spinoff from the 300 Main project. It's such a bunker down there.

Now that I think about it, all 3 of the downtown Winnipeg mall food courts that I can think of (Winnipeg Square, Cityplace, Portage Place) are pathetically lame and outdated. Which is surprising considering that they're the busiest parts of each mall.

Urban recluse · #2 Posted **Mar 21, 2017, 8:19 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by cutchemist42

Just to add to the coffee talk but when it comes to the big brands, I prefer McDs than Tims than Starbucks. (I drink my coffee black)

Just saw on Brent Bellamy's Twitter the food court at Portage and Main is closing. That location was really becoming sad....just always feels dark and dated in there.

Hopefully part of a bigger plan?

h0twired · #3 Posted **Mar 21, 2017, 8:57 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by cutchemist42

Just saw on Brent Bellamy's Twitter the food court at Portage and Main is closing. That location was really becoming sad....just always feels dark and dated in there.

I heard a pretty solid rumor that the owners of the space were trying to convince a tenant like Earls/Joey to move in.

esquire · #4 Posted **Mar 21, 2017, 8:59 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by h0twired

I heard a pretty solid rumor that the owners of the space were trying to convince a tenant like Earls/Joey to move in.

Considering how much business Earls on Main gets from the P&M crowd, that could be a pretty savvy move. Get Earls to abandon their silly suburban restaurant plan for Main and York, move Earls into Winnipeg Square and use their old site for a more appropriate development. Win-win.

rrskylar · #5 Posted **Mar 24, 2017, 5:30 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by h0twired

I heard a pretty solid rumor that the owners of the space were trying to convince a tenant like Earls/Joey to move in.

No one wants to eat in a dungeon. No way Earls/Joey goes subterranean!

Urban recluse · #6 Posted **Mar 21, 2017, 9:14 PM**

Earl's can stay where it is; a new brand opening at P&M would be better IMO. Actually, a new restaurant built in place of the "plaza" would be even better.

blueandgoldguy · #7 Posted **Mar 21, 2017, 10:05 PM**

Didn't someone just say a few pages back that the PP food court would not close because it was a money-maker?

esquire · #8 Posted **Mar 21, 2017, 11:57 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by blueandgoldguy

Didn't someone just say a few pages back that the PP food court would not close because it was a money-maker?

Portage Place? Most likely nothing will change there.

BTW I goofed, I misread hotwired's post and thought Earls/Joeys was being courted for Winnipeg Square, not 201 Portage. Still a decent idea.

CoryB · #9 Posted **Mar 22, 2017, 3:46 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by esquire

BTW I goofed, I misread hotwired's post and thought Earls/Joeys was being courted for Winnipeg Square, not 201 Portage. Still a decent idea.

It is interesting that Winnipeg Square is talking about a restaurant in the podium of the new residential tower. The interesting side story there is that space would be similar to Chamberlyns. Perhaps the developer was pushing Chamberlyns to so some upgrades/move into the new space.

Wolf13 · #10 Posted **Mar 22, 2017, 4:43 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by CoryB

It is interesting that Winnipeg Square is talking about a restaurant in the podium of the new residential tower. The interesting side story there is that space would be similar to Chamberlyns. Perhaps the developer was pushing Chamberlyns to so some upgrades/move into the new space.

They were pushing Chamberlyn's to upgrade for years, so I don't think anyone thought they'd actually do it once the new tower gets built.

Putting a new restaurant in the newest central tower in the city is a no-brainer, however. Somebody big should go in there. Or someone smaller but awesome ie local operation like merchant kitchen.

blueandgoldguy · #11 Posted **Mar 24, 2017, 10:22 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by esquire

Portage Place? Most likely nothing will change there.

BTW I goofed, I misread hotwired's post and thought Earls/Joeys was being courted for Winnipeg Square, not 201 Portage. Still a decent idea.

My mistake. For some reason I read Portage and Main food court closing and thought Portage Place.

cllew · #12 Posted **Mar 22, 2017, 12:55 PM**

When I think food court at Portage and Main I think of the one at 201 Portage Ave which could close and probably nobody would notice.

esquire · #13 Posted **Mar 22, 2017, 1:32 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by cllew

When I think food court at Portage and Main I think of the one at 201 Portage Ave which could close and probably nobody would notice.

It's actually a pretty nice food court compared to the other ugly downtown food courts at Wpg Square, Cityplace and Portage Place. Even though it still looks pretty 1990 down there, it's a reasonably pleasant place to eat. The issue is the lacklustre food offerings... I guess it's just not busy enough to attract some better choices.

CoryB · #14 Posted **Mar 22, 2017, 3:43 PM**

I had heard that over time all but one of the outlets in the 201 Portage food court fell into the hands of a single family. It is also somewhat of an oddball in terms of modern food courts with every outlet been an independent operation instead of part of a larger chain.

Food aside, the food court had video channels long before anyone else in the city, often showing news feeds, decent WiFi, decent seating and it didn't attract the same issues as other downtown food courts. It definitely seems to be angling for the Hy's type of crowd that Richardson's is able to attract. This could also help 201 land some better office tenants as they start to lose some to TNS.

wags_in_the_peg · #15 Posted **Mar 23, 2017, 5:22 PM**

ZA Pizza now open on Ellice - just had it, was as good as St.Mary's location. Same area as Urban Barn, Jollibees, etc

esquire · #16 Posted **Mar 24, 2017, 2:01 PM**

I checked out Brazen Hall on Pembina, which was for many years before the Round Table. Even though I'm definitely not a beer nerd I was really impressed by the place. Reasonably big on-site microbrewery, great choice of different beers, pretty nice looking food (I didn't eat but some of my buddies did and everything they ordered looked good) and a great, very stylish looking interior.

It's definitely a casual kind of place, feels very pubby/loungey depending on where you sit. I think it'll be a hit.

rrskylar · #17 Posted **Mar 24, 2017, 5:28 PM**

Tried to check out Jollibee's last night at around 9:00 and people were still basically waiting out the door.

esquire · #18 Posted **Mar 24, 2017, 6:13 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by rrskylar

Tried to check out Jollibee's last night at around 9:00 and people were still basically waiting out the door.

Finally gave in to the craving, huh?

trebor204 · #19 Posted **Mar 25, 2017, 3:24 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by rrskylar

Tried to check out Jollibee's last night at around 9:00 and people were still basically waiting out the door.

I was there Thursday noon (11:30 am) and there were only a few people in line, and for awhile it look like there was no one waiting in line.

Does anyone know when the Jolibee's will open at Northgate?

Riverman · #20 Posted **Mar 24, 2017, 10:38 PM**

Simply drive by Earl's on Main and notice the packed parking lot. Those are the people that will not be going to Earl's if it moves to P&M.

Luckily, Earl's knows that.