'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
Trudeau 'absolutely' best person to lead the Liberals in next election: LeBlanc says
Cabinet minister Dominic LeBlanc insists he's not planning a leadership campaign to head the Liberal party, should current leader and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau resign, seemingly quashing rumours he's planning to make a move for his boss' job.
Pastrnak scores winner, Bruins down Leafs 2-1 in overtime in Game 7
Sheldon Keefe told his players hockey history would remember them one way or another.
King Charles III’s openness about cancer has helped him connect with people in year after coronation
King Charles III's decision to be open about his cancer diagnosis has helped the new monarch connect with the people of Britain and strengthened the monarchy in the year since his dazzling coronation at Westminster Abbey.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Bombarded with spam texts? Stats show the problem is getting worse in Canada
In particular, messages that involve phishing — an attack where a scammer tries to trick the recipient into clicking a malicious link, downloading malware or sharing sensitive information — are on the rise.
The American paradox of protest: Celebrated and condemned, welcomed and muzzled
Americans cherish the right to assemble, to speak out, to petition for the redress of grievances. It's enshrined in the first of the constitutional amendments. They laud social actions of the past and recognize the advances toward equality that previous generations made, often at risk of life and limb. But those same activities can produce anger and outright opposition when life's routines are interrupted, and wariness that those speaking out are outsiders looking to sow chaos and influence impressionable minds.
William Shatner says he would consider 'Star Trek' return: 'Here comes Captain Kirk!'
The Montreal-born actor, famed for his portrayal of Captain Kirk in "Star Trek," says he is open to reprising the iconic role in the sci-fi franchise as long as the storytelling is stellar.
Bodies recovered in Mexico likely 2 Australians, 1 American who went missing: officials
Three bodies recovered in an area of Baja California are likely to be those of the two Australians and an American who went missing last weekend during a camping and surfing trip, the state prosecutor’s office said Saturday.
A driver dies after crashing into a security barrier around the White House complex, authorities say
A driver died after a vehicle crashed into an outer perimeter gate of the White House complex, and the incident late Saturday was being investigated as a traffic crash, police said. U.S. President Joe Biden was spending the weekend in Delaware, and the Secret Service said there was no threat to the White House.