General Retail News

[Harley613]

Originally Posted by acottawa

It's like they're trying to put themselves out of business. I was recently in a Sears store to try to find a humidifier (crappy tire was sold out). It was awful - the displays were in total disarray, there were big sections of empty space, everything seemed dirty, most of the cash registered were not staffed. I understand that mid-market department stores are out of fashion, but they could at least clean up a little and try to make the stores look presentable.

I was trying to find a Bissell Steam Shot steam cleaner yesterday, and the Sears website had them on sale for $49.99 (regular 59.99). The website didn't give me the option to check store inventory...it didn't even say if it was an online only item. I went to the store on St. Laurent...lo and behold, there was the steam shot with the sale tag on it. I tried to buy it and was told 'that's an online only item, and you can't buy the display unit'. That when i said 'F this' and went on Amazon and bought it. I am completely done with Sears. There is NO reason to shop there anymore, at least until their final liquidation sales in a year or two.

[Harley613]

Originally Posted by MountainView

The Loblaws located on Marketplace Ave near Greenbank & Strandherd in Barrhaven has divided its 'home' section into a separate store front and leased it to HomeSense. This Loblaws was renovated last year to it's newer design stores.

The part of the building where the HomeSense is going is where it says Drugstore in this Street View Image.

It will be opening on April 5th. Store Info

Sorry, what?!? A Homesense in a Loblaws? That is just weird. IIRC that grocery store was the largest in Canada when it opened, but is there really a business case for subdividing it in such a fast growing neighbourhood?

[rocketphish]

Rideau BIA expansion plan needs work, council committee says

Matthew Pearson, Ottawa Citizen
Published on: March 1, 2016 | Last Updated: March 1, 2016 7:30 PM EST

A business association hoping to expand its turf has three weeks to work with neighbouring BIAs and city councillors to come up with a plan everyone can live with.

The Downtown Rideau Business Improvement Area (BIA) represents shops and restaurants along Rideau Street between Sussex Drive and King Edward Avenue, as well as surrounding streets south of the ByWard Market. It wants to expand to include all of Rideau Street between the canal and the Cummings Bridge, as well as the National Arts Centre and Bytown Museum. Because BIAs collect levies from members based on a property’s value, such a move could increase the BIA’s annual budget by almost $90,000.

The Rideau BIA brands its territory as Ottawa’s arts, fashion and theatre district, which is why it wants to scoop up the NAC and La Nouvelle Scène, a new French theatre on King Edward north of Rideau.

But the expansion effort has run afoul of the Sparks Street BIA and the ByWard Market BIA, which shares a common border along George Street with the Rideau BIA.

Rideau-Vanier Coun. Mathieu Fleury and Somerset Coun. Catherine McKenney will now spend the next few weeks working with the BIAs to “close the gap,” Mayor Jim Watson said Tuesday, when the issue was discussed by the finance and economic development committee.

“I think that would be helpful because this is obviously a divisive issue between three BIAs,” he said.

The discussions could involve rejigging part of Rideau BIA’s proposed boundary and dealing with outstanding concerns about George Street.

Many of the shops on the south side of the street pay dues to the Rideau BIA — even though most visitors might associate them with the ByWard Market — because the property also faces Rideau Street, where a BIA was formed sooner.

If council approves Rideau BIA’s expansion request, with or without amendments, at its March 23 meeting, the city would then give all current and prospective BIA members the ability to object to the proposed expansion. If one-third object to joining the BIA — and that group makes up one-third of the total amount of levies in the existing or in the proposed expansion area, than the proposed expansion would fail and the BIA’s boundaries would remain as they are now.

[email protected]
twitter.com/mpearson78

http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news...n-plan-needs-work-council-committee-says

[TheGoods]

Originally Posted by Neednothing

It's not clear to me why big department stores of yester-year like The Bay and Nordstroms continue to survive. I suspect that this next recession will test their resilience especially as shoppers continue to turn to online retailers. How much of the investment into these retail is based on Boomer-driven nostalgia? I attempted to find a pair of winter hikers at Nordstroms mid December and they had but 1 style. The restaurant is nice, and over a nice warm bowl of lobster bisque I contemplated the future of this place.

That is like going to MEC or Sportcheck as example and trying to buy a pair of dress pants, surprised you even found 1 pair of winter hikers, you got lucky!

[rocketphish]

Danier Leather starts store closing sales at locations across Canada

The Canadian Press ~ OBJ
Published on March 08, 2016



Store closing sales start Tuesday at the remaining Danier Leather stores and outlets in Canada.

The retailer (TSX: DL) entered insolvency proceedings last month as it attempted to find a buyer.

The liquidators say in addition to their current inventory, the stores are receiving new shipments from warehouses.

The store fixtures, furniture and equipment are also for sale.

There are 76 Danier Leather stores and outlets across Canada, including five in Ottawa at Tanger Outlets, Rideau Centre, Bayshore Shopping Centre, St.Laurent Shopping Centre, and South Keys Shopping Centre.

http://www.obj.ca/Local/Retail/2016-03-0...osing-sales-at-locations-across-Canada/1

[Harley613]

No surprise there. Who wants to bet on the next major retail closure?

I'm going to wager Sears

[TheGoods]

Originally Posted by Harley613

No surprise there. Who wants to bet on the next major retail closure?

I'm going to wager Sears

Danier hasn't been keeping up with the trends, it seems everyone wants a parka or a leather hybrid of a parka and not a leather jacket such as Canada Goose, Nobis, Moose Knuckles, Mackage and Rudsak which currently have 31 stores (none in Ottawa, a shame) in Canada and all these companies are Canadian and are thriving.

Agree, Sears is next, they been surviving by selling prime real estate leases, soon they will have nothing left to sell.

[rocketphish]

Fat Tuesdays leaving ByWard Market, Starbucks rumoured to be moving in

Aidan Cox, Postmedia
Published on: March 31, 2016 | Last Updated: March 31, 2016 6:44 PM EDT



The home of Ottawa’s renowned duelling pianos will pack up shop in April and move to Kanata, potentially making room, some are speculating, for a new Starbucks in the ByWard Market.

Fat Tuesdays will open its doors on 62 York St. for the last time on Saturday after occupying its spot in the Market for 14 years.

“It’s sad we’re leaving. The ByWard Market has been close to my heart,” said Manny Garcia, a managing partner at Fat Tuesdays.

Garcia will be heavily involved in the restaurant’s move — pianos and all — to its new spot, the Kanata Centrum Shopping Centre, where he will manage its operations.

Citing the pianos as a major part of Fat Tuesdays’ success, Garcia said the new location will have a stage where performers will pound the same keys just as they did in the market.

“We built something very special in the market. We met a lot of great staff and great guests,” Garcia said.

“You always want to do better and we have seen a decline in sales.”

Rumours have been brewing that a new Starbucks will be opening in the soon-to-be vacant spot on York Street. Speculation has it that the branch will be called Starbucks Evening, a new concept where alcohol will be sold after 4 p.m., according to Phil Waserman, co-chair of the ByWard Market Business Improvement Area.

“It’s a new concept. There are only five or six in the world … and if they’ve have chosen Ottawa ByWard Market to open, I think that’s not a bad thing,” said Waserman, also the owner of Courtyard Restaurant.

A Starbucks spokesperson said the company is in the “early stages” of considering the York Street location. While the company had no concrete details to share yet, Madeleine Lowenborg-Frick said, Starbucks “considers a broad range of products and experiences for each neighbourhood.”

ByWard Market business owners expressed mixed feelings over the possibility of the iconic and ubiquitous Starbucks logo potentially moving onto the block.

“It’s a loss,” said Gerry Daoust, owner of Chez Lucien, another restaurant in the ByWard Market. “I mean, (Fat Tuesdays) was a scene up there for quite a while, and what we’re replacing it with is kind of a soulless thing.

“It is a shame someone local isn’t interested in that space. Times are harder now in the Market than they were five or even 10 years ago,” Daoust said.

John Diener, co-owner of Sasloves Meat Market, said there would be both pros and cons to Starbucks’ entry.

“I think it’s a little regrettable a long-standing business has chosen to leave, but I think it says something positive about the market that a major player like Starbucks has the confidence in the area,” said Diener, who also serves on the board of directors of the ByWard Market BIA.

While Starbucks is not going to be locally owned like Fat Tuesdays, the cafe would, in theory, still hire local employees who will patronize other local businesses, Diener explained.

“The fact is the economy has taken a bit of a downturn and there are a lot of positives with having a strong player operating a business down there,” Diener said.

Loyal patrons can look forward to Fat Tuesdays reopening within five to six weeks, said Garcia.

While all staff were invited to follow the restaurant to its new location, Garcia said, some had to be transferred to sister restaurants in the Ottawa area due to Kanata’s distance.

“It’s sad, but (the relocation) is a new challenge, a new beginning, a fresh slate.”

Twitter.com/Aidan4jrn

http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news...arket-starbucks-rumoured-to-be-moving-in

[rocketphish]

"Loyal patrons can look forward to Fat Tuesdays reopening within five to six weeks, said Garcia."

How many loyal patrons are going to make the hike out to Kanata to go to a piano bar? Now if LRT extended from downtown to the Centrum..


BTW, the new location is the site of the former Skirt Steak restaurant at Kanata Centrum.

http://stittsvillecentral.ca/fat-tuesdays-applies-for-liquor-permit-at-kanata-centrum-location/

[MountainView]

Originally Posted by Harley613

Sorry, what?!? A Homesense in a Loblaws? That is just weird. IIRC that grocery store was the largest in Canada when it opened, but is there really a business case for subdividing it in such a fast growing neighbourhood?

They recently renovated the Loblaws (1-1.5 years ago and didn't really need the 'home' section anymore.



Opens April 5th

[rocketphish]

Popular Elgin Street restaurant Oz Kafe to relocate to ByWard Market

Patrick Jodoin, Ottawa Citizen
Published on: April 1, 2016 | Last Updated: April 1, 2016 4:07 PM EDT

After more than a decade of serving diners on Elgin Street the popular restaurant Oz Kafe has announced it’s relocating to the ByWard Market this summer.

The restaurant — which is open only for dinner and late-night service — made the announcement late Thursday evening via their Twitter, Instagram and Facebook accounts, accompanied with one picture of a banner hanging above their current location, and another of their new home at 10 York Street.

Co-owner-operator (and namesake) Oz Balpinar recently made the decision not to renew the café’s lease at the Elgin Street location. Her team plans to leave by the end of June and open at their new location in early July.

When Balpinar’s brother and business partner Ozden discovered the building in the Market, the possibilities to expand their vision were immediately apparent.

They have enlisted the well-known heritage architect Barry Padolsky to help out. Construction will begin next week.

Balpinar is looking forward to setting up the restaurant’s new larger digs.

“It’s a no-brainer, it’s gorgeous,” she said. “It has two floors, it’s three times the space that I have (now). I’ll be able to put in a full, brand new, actual kitchen.”

Balpinar cites the limitations of the size of the current restaurant’s kitchen among the reasons for the move.

“Do I continue this here, when my hidden costs every year keep going up?” Balpinar asked. “Without a full kitchen, we’re also limited in the number of services we can run.

“Our new landlords are really excited to have the café there, in the courtyard,” she said. “We’re really excited to see what we come up with.”

Popular among the restaurant industry, Oz Kafe is perhaps best known to Ottawa foodies for the long-standing Chef Appreciation Night, which takes place the last Monday of every month and brings in a different local chef to offer an innovative four-course meal.

Oz Kafe also made headlines in 2013 when their chef at the time, Jamie Stunt, claimed silver in Gold Medal Plates, the Canadian culinary championships — and in 2012 when Stunt took the gold medal for the Ottawa division.

http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news...ant-oz-kafe-to-relocate-to-byward-market

[rocketphish]

Two downtown BIAs formalize working relationship
Downtown Rideau BIA’s expansion boundaries tweaked

By Erin McCracken
Ottawa East News, Mar 30, 2016



Council has signed off on allowing two downtown business improvement areas to work together, as well as the removal of two parcels of land from one group’s proposed expansion plans.

Coun. Mathieu Fleury’s motion to council, approved March 23, reveals the Downtown Rideau BIA and the ByWard Market BIA have agreed to develop a formal operating agreement that outlines how they can work together to offer joint programming on the south side of George Street.

Mayor Jim Watson has previously said he would like to see the two downtown organizations form one group similar to the West Ottawa Board of Trade to create a unified voice.

With its stamp of approval, council also gave its OK for the Downtown Rideau BIA to tweak the boundaries in its proposed expansion plans by removing Confederation Park, as well as a parcel of land located north of George to York, between Cumberland and King Edward Avenue.

The expansion plan proposes to include Rideau Street businesses from the canal to Cummings Bridge and west to the Bytown Museum and the National Arts Centre.

Businesses in the area have said they are in favour of a unified streetscape, and the Rideau BIA has said including the museum and the arts centre within the boundary would bolster the area’s reputation as a theatre, arts and fashion district.

Adding business would result in more BIA members, which in turn, would mean a boost in annual membership fees.

While council ultimately gave the changes its stamp of approval, West Carleton-March Coun. Eli El-Chantiry, who is a member of the city’s Council of Business Improvement Areas, expressed concern the organization was not consulted about the changes.

The council was created to provide a unified voice on citywide issues and represent more than 6,000 businesses.

“Are they in agreement with this?” he asked staff during the council meeting.

Staff said the two BIAs involved were “consulted heavily,” and staff didn’t see a need to consult with BIAs outside the downtown because the plans are specific to that location.

But El-Chantiry said it would be helpful in future if the council is kept informed.

“Please, if you can, anything to do with the BIA, it should be at least vetted and shared with the Ottawa Council of BIAs,” he said.

The motion also included assurances from the Downtown Rideau BIA that it would not encroach on any businesses or organizations in Somerset Ward without first telling the area’s councillor.

As well, the BIA has alerted the Bytown Museum of the financial implications of joining the association, the motion stated.

- with files from Jennifer McIntosh

http://www.ottawacommunitynews.com/news-...own-bias-formalize-working-relationship/

[rocketphish]

New Edinburgh Pub to close Saturday after 27 years
Owner Paul Williams to take over ownership of Whispers in Westboro

CBC News Posted: Apr 06, 2016 5:00 AM ET Last Updated: Apr 06, 2016 5:00 AM ET



The New Edinburgh Pub, a local institution on Beechwood Ave. for close to 30 years, is pouring its last draft on Saturday, after the owner and landlord could not come to an agreement on a new lease.

For longtime customers, the closure of the pub is a loss of a familiar friendly place where they felt at home.

"I'm pretty down and depressed...[but I've] accepted it," said Ernie Smith, who had been coming to the pub for 16 years.

Peter Hustwit has been coming to the pub for 20 years, once a month getting together with his former coworkers. He's not sure where he'll come for his mid-afternoon get togethers.

"I think its terrible... we're very, very sorry," said Hustwit.

Replacing the pub will be a Royal Oak, after some renovations are done on the space.

New Edinburgh Pub owner Paul Williams said he wasn't leaving by choice, but was unable to come to an agreement with the landlord over the terms of a lease.

CBC News spoke with the landlord, however, who said the negotiations broke down over a number of issues, including a request that the pub undergo renovations.

Williams is moving on, however, having taken over as the owner of Whispers in Ottawa's Westboro neighbourhood, buying the business from his longtime friend Don Cogan.

With files from Simon Gardner

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/new-edinburgh-pub-to-close-april-9-1.3521951

[rocketphish]

"Peter Hustwit has been coming to the pub for 20 years, once a month getting together with his former coworkers. He's not sure where he'll come for his mid-afternoon get togethers."

Hmm... how about the Royal Oak?

[Harley613]

Originally Posted by rocketphish

"Peter Hustwit has been coming to the pub for 20 years, once a month getting together with his former coworkers. He's not sure where he'll come for his mid-afternoon get togethers."

Hmm... how about the Royal Oak?

The hole-in-the-wall Oak in New Edinburgh is not a good replacement for the rooftop patio of the ol' pub!

[TheGoods]

They have an amazing rooftop patio, I always go there a couple of times in the summer but once patio season is over, I prefer going somewhere else. The inside really needs a facelift, it is old, dark and digging and the menu can also use a bit of a refresh. Not sure I’m happy with an Oak but I will still head over for a pint on a beautiful summer day.

[rocketphish]

The Urban Pear, a fixture for fine dining in the Glebe, has closed

Peter Hum, Ottawa Citizen
Published on: April 7, 2016 | Last Updated: April 7, 2016 11:55 AM EDT

The Urban Pear, a narrow upscale restaurant on Second Avenue, has closed after nearly 14 years in business.

A sign offering its space for sub-lease as a turnkey restaurant has gone up on its window, and its website has gone down. Its owner, Nick Caravatta, could not be reached for comment.

Real estate broker John Zagerman said that Caravatta closed the restaurant to focus on other business interests and his young family. He added that since his sign went up, his phone has been ringing off the hook with expressions of interest from potential tenants. “We’re working on an offer right now,” Zagerman said.

The restaurant’s chef, Paul Vanderpool Jr., said that he received a lengthy text from Caravatta on Monday stating that the restaurant was immediately closing.

“I couldn’t believe it,” Vanderpool said. “(I) asked why. . . let’s just say he put it all on me.”

Vanderpool questioned a decision that the restaurant took last fall to accept Groupon coupons. “They were hoping it would bring customers back. Not really, not when you have a deal at 41 per cent off.”

Vanderpool said that the mood at his workplace had sunk recently — “no drive, no passion, no inspiration.

“I’m hurt, that a top culinary restaurant closed its doors, for reasons I can’t explain,” said Vanderpool, 50, who added that he is owed $850 in back pay.

“My wish is that someone in the Ottawa area comes in as soon as possible to re-open the Urban Pear and bring it back to where it belongs with or without me.”

The Urban Pear had several owners during its run. It was opened by chefs Ben and Summer Baird, who in the spring of 2002 turned the former laundromat into a destination eatery for farm-to-table cuisine. Ben Baird competed several times between 2006 and 2010 at Ottawa’s Gold Medal Plates event.

Ben Baird now runs the Streat Gourmet food truck, while Summer opened the Hintonburg Public House.

A few years ago, the Urban Pear was taken over by Jeffrey Frost, who employed a succession of chefs, the last being Vanderpool. In the fall of 2014, Caravatta took over.

My May 2015 review of the restaurant described significant dining disappointments and took issue with lofty prices that could run as high as $60 for lobster tails with risotto. A revamped menu saw prices drop.

[email protected]
twitter.com/peterhum

http://ottawacitizen.com/life/food/the-urban-pear-a-fixture-for-fine-dining-in-the-glebe-has-closed

[rocketphish]

New Edinburgh Pub set to close Saturday, Royal Oak taking over

Chris Lowrey, Ottawa Citizen
Published on: April 7, 2016 | Last Updated: April 7, 2016 4:05 PM EDT

Another Ottawa institution will be closing its doors on Saturday.

The New Edinburgh Pub, which has been pouring suds at the corner of Beechwood Avenue and Crichton Street for more than 25 years, will close on Saturday after the owner and landlord could not come to terms on a new lease.

“After 27 years without missing a single rent payment, it feels like a slap in the face,” said Paul Williams, the pub’s owner.

Williams said his landlord wanted him to sign a 10-year guarantee, something he was not willing to do.

A representative for the landlord, Allan Jackson, president of Capital Commercial Investment Corporation, said the landlord was looking to ink a longer term agreement than the pub owner was comfortable with, but said the relationship between the two sides is amicable.

Jackson also said the landlord was looking to renovate the building and add a second floor.

“We’ve had a number of good conversations with the pub owner since an agreement couldn’t be reached. But I think the parameters of the space itself were changing too much for the tenant,” Jackson said.

The Royal Oak will be moving into the space shortly, with the aim of completing renovations before opening in the fall.

Jonathan Hatchell, CEO of Royal Oak Pub Group, said the plan is to transform the rooftop patio into an enclosed second story. “The patio is going to move back down to street level,” he said.

The New Edinburgh Pub joins an increasingly long line of shuttered, well-known Ottawa restaurants such as Mellos and Fat Tuesday’s.

Williams said he saw the writing on the wall by late January that he would probably not be able to stay in the pub’s current location.

Regulars aren’t taking the news well. “I was depressed and just devastated when the news came down,” said Ernie Smith, a mainstay at the “Eddy.”

Despite the fact most staff have found new jobs, Smith said it still isn’t easy to see the change. “One of the girls, the daytime bartender, has been there for 27 years,” he said.

With news of the pub’s closure making the rounds, Williams said business has picked up. “It’s been crazy, we’re not even taking reservations. It’s first come, first serve.”

But fear not, New Edinburgh regulars: Williams already has plans to open a new establishment.

“I purchased another pub last Friday,” he said.

Williams will soon take over Whispers Pub on Richmond Road. He said he expects to have a better relationship with his new landlord than his old one.

“I better, he was the best man at my wedding, so he better treat me well,” he said with a laugh.

— With files from Patrick Jodoin

Twitter.com/Lowrey87

http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news...-to-close-saturday-royal-oak-taking-over

[rocketphish]

Bittersweet transition to Royal Oak Pub

By Elizabeth Gray-Smith, Jane Heintzman and Christina Leadlay
New Eniburgh News, April 2016



As New Edinburgh Pub owner Paul Williams correctly speculated while he was struggling with the terms of the new lease for the Pub space (see page 1 for details), it ultimately proved to be a larger chain operation that was able to manage these terms, and in mid-February, the building owners officially announced to the NEN that Royal Oak Pubs would take over as proprietors following a major overhaul of the premises, to be carried out in conjunction with the planned exterior renovation.

Royal Oak is a widely known and long-established Ottawa-based chain of British-style pubs, with 12 outlets throughout the Ottawa area from Orleans to Kanata and virtually everywhere in between, along with two operations in Whitby, Ont. Their stamp is distinctively British, with classic pub fare such as fish ‘n’ chips, bangers and mash, pot pies and shepherd’s pie still staples on the menu. They have recently linked up with local brewer Beau’s All Natural Brewing, regularly featuring new Beau’s beers in their craft beer repertoire.

Royal Oak CEO Jonathan Hatchell is enthusiastic about the new location, confessing that he has had his eye on the area for many years and has loved the neighbourhood since his arrival in Ottawa 30 years ago. Jonathan has known Paul Williams since their early years in the restaurant business in the 1980s, and is a great admirer of Paul’s skills and success as an independent restaurateur. He is keenly aware of Paul’s popularity in the community, and is sensitive to the inevitable sadness associated with his departure. In recognition of the bittersweet nature of the coming transition, Jonathan is committed to ensuring as much continuity in the pub’s operations as possible, and is making a point of interviewing current pub staff for positions at the new Royal Oak.

But first, there is a major transformation planned for the Pub premises in the coming months, starting with the virtual demolition of the interior by the building owners in the context of their exterior renovation project, to be launched in May. Jonathan reports that this process will leave Royal Oak with an entirely clean slate to begin rebuilding and refitting later this summer. Among the major changes now on the agenda (subject to the City permit process) are the installation of a barrier-free, single-level first floor equipped with a handicapped-access washroom; a fully enclosed second floor with large tables for group gatherings; and a street level outdoor patio on Crichton Street with seating for upwards of 60 people.

According to Jonathan, the downstairs level will retain the layout and cozy atmosphere of the traditional Royal Oak pub, while the upstairs “Pub Club” will be more open, well suited to larger gatherings around long tables to enjoy a drink and a lively discussion, listen to.

As an alternative to the second floor outdoor terrace, Jonathan and his team have been consulting with Councillor Tobi Nussbaum and QVBIA Executive Director Jamie Kwong in an effort to develop plans for a new boulevard-style patio to be installed in the bulbout on Crichton Street, and artfully arranged to encompass the two large red QVBIA flower pots currently positioned in that spot. Jonathan is delighted with the emerging design plans for the patio, promising “lots of curves and hanging baskets” to add to its appeal as a summer gathering place.

If all goes as planned, the gutting of the pub interior should be completed this spring, leaving Royal Oak a free hand to begin the rebuild by early August. Jonathan’s best guess at this point is a three-month process from start to finish, and his aim is to have the new location up and running by late fall, at the latest in time for the Christmas party season.

From: http://newedinburgh.ca/news/april-2016-issue-new-edinburgh-news-online

[Dundas]

I wonder if this will hurt the Clocktower near by?