A business owner working to turn a St. James storefront into a restaurant was treated to a blast from the past during its renovation process.
Rana Abdulla bought the space at 1785 Portage Avenue in April 2016. During the renovation process, they uncovered a ghost sign left over from a barber shop that used to occupy the building.
“The last time anyone saw the advertisements, now visible on outside 1785 Portage, was when this was a confectionery store,” Abdulla said by email.
“This really speaks to the commercial value of the area at the time.”
Abdulla is turning the space into Yafa Café, a restaurant that serves Arabic street food.
She doesn’t plan to cover up the sign; an architect and interior designer are working to blend materials to both restore and renew the space.
“Our design and architectural plans must change and we must honor the value that St. James has,” she said.
“(We) will try to salvage and restore as much as we can. Why cover that fact up when we could celebrate it?”
