Winnipeg Restaurants

[Jeff]

yup! they've maintained the amazing hole in the wall quality as per their former location as well

[wags_in_the_peg]

I tried Donald Guys on main, blown away at the amount of meat on the donair, was so tasty.

[esquire]

^ Looking forward to giving it a try when I'm back in the office again. Or hell, maybe I'll make a special trip to pick some up.

[buzzg]

BDI shut down after because they had so many complaints about the drive thru, both idling and blocking traffic.

They said they're going to try and figure out a way to safely operate to protect staff and customers... their staff are already shielded more than any other business. Just put spacing marks on the ground like everywhere, seems straightforward to me.

[rrskylar]

Originally Posted by buzzg

BDI shut down after because they had so many complaints about the drive thru, both idling and blocking traffic.

They said they're going to try and figure out a way to safely operate to protect staff and customers... their staff are already shielded more than any other business. Just put spacing marks on the ground like everywhere, seems straightforward to me.

Feel for the ownership when there is no direction from the city on crowd control or the province on COVID -19 protocols that actually work.

Common sense would dictate that a business that uses a walk up window should allow people to walk up to order at that window with social distancing!

Pretty dumb that the city allowed a free for all with a line of vehicles stopped in front of residents driveways blocking them!

[Wpg_Guy]

^the city didn’t allow it, they did not apply for a drive through permit which was required.

[rrskylar]

Originally Posted by Wpg_Guy

^the city didn’t allow it, they did not apply for a drive through permit which was required.

Thanks for the clarification, thought it was city approved to allow a temporary drive thru!

Even I am wrong once every ten years!

[esquire]

^ You weren't wrong, it's someone else's fault for misinforming you!

But seriously, the BDI situation illustrates why we should have more of these types of commercial spaces mixed in with neighbourhoods. It's one of the only commercial establishments in all of Riverview/Lord Roberts that isn't on Osborne. And it has even taken on a certain cult following which makes BDI more popular than it has any right to be partly because of its unusual location (it wouldn't be the same if it was on Pembina, for example), and still, the world doesn't come to an end. Until the past few days, BDI coexisted more or less peacefully with its neighbours.

The ideal situation to my mind is to make BDI style commercial buildings alongside residential so common that they cease being noteworthy... that they just become another aspect of the city. Then instead of a place like BDI becoming a citywide destination, it wouuld simply be a local neighbourhood joint without traffic or lines spilling out onto the streets.

[Bdog]

Originally Posted by esquire

^ You weren't wrong, it's someone else's fault for misinforming you!

But seriously, the BDI situation illustrates why we should have more of these types of commercial spaces mixed in with neighbourhoods. It's one of the only commercial establishments in all of Riverview/Lord Roberts that isn't on Osborne. And it has even taken on a certain cult following which makes BDI more popular than it has any right to be partly because of its unusual location (it wouldn't be the same if it was on Pembina, for example), and still, the world doesn't come to an end. Until the past few days, BDI coexisted more or less peacefully with its neighbours.

The ideal situation to my mind is to make BDI style commercial buildings alongside residential so common that they cease being noteworthy... that they just become another aspect of the city. Then instead of a place like BDI becoming a citywide destination, it wouuld simply be a local neighbourhood joint without traffic or lines spilling out onto the streets.

I think the key factor is the bridge, which many people walk across with their ice cream. If there were a pedestrian bridge next to a major road like Pembina and an ice cream shop right there, I'm sure you'd have the same effect. See busy Portage Avenue's Sargent Sundae, for example.

[rrskylar]

Originally Posted by esquire

^ You weren't wrong, it's someone else's fault for misinforming you!

But seriously, the BDI situation illustrates why we should have more of these types of commercial spaces mixed in with neighbourhoods. It's one of the only commercial establishments in all of Riverview/Lord Roberts that isn't on Osborne. And it has even taken on a certain cult following which makes BDI more popular than it has any right to be partly because of its unusual location (it wouldn't be the same if it was on Pembina, for example), and still, the world doesn't come to an end. Until the past few days, BDI coexisted more or less peacefully with its neighbours.

The ideal situation to my mind is to make BDI style commercial buildings alongside residential so common that they cease being noteworthy... that they just become another aspect of the city. Then instead of a place like BDI becoming a citywide destination, it wouuld simply be a local neighbourhood joint without traffic or lines spilling out onto the streets.

Good points. Our zoning laws need to be adjusted just for this type of thing instead of Just for more ugly strip malls!

[buzzg]

My friends live in Bridgwater and hate the fact that they don't even allow for a convenience store or cafe to be built closer to housing. While the retail town centre is starting to get lots of amenities, it's often a 30+ minute walk for most people, including crossing a highway. There's no reason why these types of neighbour hoods can't at least accommodate one small strip mall within the residential parts, say near a park or community centre, to allow for some sort of useful retail.

[Prairie_8487]

Originally Posted by buzzg

My friends live in Bridgwater and hate the fact that they don't even allow for a convenience store or cafe to be built closer to housing. While the retail town centre is starting to get lots of amenities, it's often a 30+ minute walk for most people, including crossing a highway. There's no reason why these types of neighbour hoods can't at least accommodate one small strip mall within the residential parts, say near a park or community centre, to allow for some sort of useful retail.

So many people that bought there seemed to drink the koolaid that it was going to be this walkable & cycling utopia.... pretty easy to see from the start it was just more sprawl, bunch of big bulky houses on one side of the highway, bunch of strip malls & gas bars on the other side of the highway... doesn't exactly scream Copenhagen

[esquire]

^ I would be really surprised if anyone bought into Waverley West thinking it was going to be anything other than garden variety suburbia where walking is strictly a recreational activity undertaken in parks.

[buzzg]

Yeah they didn't feel duped or anything, just saying there's no reason they shouldn't at least incorporate a bit of commercial in the residential areas. It's not like having a neighbourhood cafe or convenience store in your suburban neighbourhood will compromise the ideals and safety of people that live there.

[Jeff]

it seems a good majority of people who choose the suburban, car-oriented dream are ok with the fact that they are buying into neighbourhood that is built to a "finished state" that is safe from ever changing or evolving. it just sucks when there's throngs of people in established, pedestrian-friendly, inner-city neighbourhoods that seem to share this same ideal.

[wags_in_the_peg]

Tony Roma's on Nairn has vacated the building after disagreement with landlord over lease. he building was purpose built for them 2007. High traffic location, wonder if another chain like Earl's or Joey's tries that area out.

[esquire]

Considering what's going on in the sector, I'd be pretty surprised if we see any new restaurants opening up this year. I would imagine people will be waiting on the dust to settle a bit and for lease rates to settle in at their 'new normal', whatever that might be.

[bomberjet]

Originally Posted by wags_in_the_peg

Tony Roma's on Nairn has vacated the building after disagreement with landlord over lease. he building was purpose built for them 2007. High traffic location, wonder if another chain like Earl's or Joey's tries that area out.

I'm always surprised by these sorts of arrangements. Tony Roma's moves into a building built specifically for Tony Roma's, that looks like a Tony Roma's. But doesn't actually own said building. WTF..

[bomberjet]

In more important news, Wendy's is in fact opening a new location at Regent and Plessis. Fun fact, the Tony Roma's location was previously the Wendy's location up until about 15 years ago.

[buzzg]

Earls and Joey are definitely not interested in Kildonan/Transcona area. Earls looked at it about 5-7 years ago when they were in fairly aggressive expansion and even then didn't think it was a good demo for them, and now they're much more selective in the areas they are in. Joey just opened Local on Garry, if they have any interest in a 4th location here, it'd likely be around St. Vital.

I've heard through the grapevine that the entire Moxies chain is in serious trouble. Two have already closed here in the last year or so, and TNSE isn't renewing their lease at the arena, so it's very possible Moxies days are done here.