'It's bittersweet': Popular St. Boniface restaurant set to close its doors
Marion Street Eatery is set to close its doors for good after over a decade serving up steaming plates of eggs benedict, grilled cheese and brisket hash.
The St. Boniface restaurant, long considered a staple in the community, announced Sunday it will close at the end of May.
“It's bittersweet in many, many ways,” Laneil Smith, owner and operator of Marion Street Eatery, told CTV News Winnipeg.
“We're very proud of what we've done in the time that we've been here.”
While she says the industry has become difficult to navigate, Smith says there is no one reason behind the closure. She never planned on running the eatery forever when she opened its doors in February 2014 at the Marion Hotel – a property her family has owned for decades.
“It's more just that we're ready for change,” Smith said.
“We are happy with how we've been able to dedicate to our community. We've built up a beautiful community of people and made plenty of friends and been able to support a lot of very beautiful, smaller, local distributors within the city.”
The Marion Street Eatery dining room is shown in a December 2018 image. (Marion Street Eatery/Instagram)
Restaurant industry still recovering from pandemic: restaurant association
Shaun Jeffrey, CEO of Manitoba Restaurant and Foodservices Association (MRFA), says Marion Street Eatery’s closure is a loss.
“It's never good in our industry to lose such a staple, especially a staple like Marion Street. On a personal level, it’s one of my favourite restaurants in Winnipeg to visit both for breakfast and lunch.”
Jeffrey hopes another restaurant will open in its wake, but he acknowledges operating a business amid inflationary pressures and prolonged fallout from the pandemic can be challenging.
He says Canadian restaurants generally have a two to one closure ratio. Meantime, data from Restaurants Canada found restaurant bankruptcies in January were up to 44 per cent – the highest annual figure in a decade.
“We're facing some pretty monumental challenges in our industry. I wouldn't say that we're seeing a lot of restaurants closing, but we're definitely seeing a lot of restaurants change hands, just because [of] the trying times coming out of the pandemic,” he said, adding Manitoba is still at about a 75 per cent post-pandemic recovery rate.
(Marion Street Eatery/Instagram)
As for Smith, she has seen the industry evolve in her decade-long tenure at Marion Street Eatery. Customers’ food knowledge has grown, with diners keen to support small and local.
While she will miss their loyal customers, she says they have many other amazing local restaurants to welcome them.
“Winnipeg’s food scene is a pivotal part of our communities. I think it's a pivotal part of our relationships, how we’re gathering, how we come together as people, and I think that that's a beautiful thing to be able to be a part of.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Foreign meddling 'did not affect' overall federal election results: inquiry report
Foreign interference by China did not affect the overall results of the 2019 and 2021 general elections won by Justin Trudeau's Liberals, a federal commission of inquiry has found.
BREAKING Police make arrests in killing of B.C. Sikh activist, source confirms
Police have made arrests in the killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a senior government source has confirmed to CTV News.
WATCH LIVE Funeral today for broadcasting legend and voice of 'Hockey Night in Canada' Bob Cole
A funeral is being held today for hockey broadcasting legend Bob Cole in his hometown of St. John's, N.L.
Magnitude 4.8 earthquake recorded west of Vancouver Island
A 4.8-magnitude earthquake was reported west of Vancouver Island Thursday evening.
TD worst-case scenario more likely after drug money laundering allegations: analyst
TD Bank Group could be hit with more severe penalties than previously expected, says a banking analyst after a report that the investigation it faces in the U.S. is tied to laundering illicit fentanyl profits.
How falling for a stranger she met on a beach led this woman to ditch the U.S. for the French Riviera
Niki Benjamin, from the U.S., had travelled to a paradise island to do some soul searching, and her life ended up going in a very different direction when her dog ran up to a stranger.
Biscuits with possible plastic pieces, metal found in ground pork: Here are the recalls for this week
Here are the latest recalls Canadians should watch out for, according to Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.
Britney Spears 'home and safe' after paramedics responded to an incident at the Chateau Marmont, source tells CNN
A source close to singer Britney Spears tells CNN that the pop star is 'home and safe' after she had a 'major fight' with her boyfriend on Wednesday night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.
Supreme Court orders new trial for B.C. francophone who was not given French option
The Supreme Court is ordering a new trial for a francophone man in British Columbia who says he was not informed of his right to have a trial in the official language of his choice.