Royal Fork Buffet closing after more than 30 years of business
Customers at Royal Fork Buffet in Kildonan Crossing are loading up their plates with food for what could be the last time.
The well-known buffet-style restaurant announced it will be closing its doors for good by Dec. 21.
“We found out a week ago,” said Alma Frenkow, assistant manager of Royal Fork Buffet. “Our reaction is (we are) very sad, along with the customers, especially our regulars.”
Frenkow said in March of 2020 the restaurant was forced to close for dine in due to COVID-19 restrictions.
With the exception of a brief reopening in the summer of 2020, they could only offer take out until being allowed to fully reopen in July of 2021.
She said the restaurant is only doing 20 per cent of the business it used to before the pandemic, but prior to COVID lockdowns they were a very busy buffet.
“We were lined up to the door, and everybody had to wait for about an hour just to get a table.”
Another buffet-style restaurant in Winnipeg is Mongo’s Grill, where customers can build their own stir-fry’s that are grilled to order.
Regional Manager, Russ Hart said when COVID-19 hit, the restaurant had to change how they operated.
“We had to definitely ramp up our online presence, created our own online ordering platform, and rolled that out quicker than ideal, but it was something we had to do to stay relevant.”
The Manitoba Restaurant and Foodservices Association said Royal Fork Buffet was a long-standing operation, and a staple in that area of the city.
Executive Director and CEO, Shaun Jeffrey said all restaurants in the province have suffered during the pandemic, but buffet-style restaurants were hit even harder.
“(Buffet’s) were closed for even longer,” said Jeffrey. “It’s very hard to run an operation when you don’t know what your future looks like, and with us still sitting in the middle of the pandemic, and still facing restrictions, it’s really hard to gauge what your business is going to look like.”
Jeffrey said many restaurants have pivoted to options like take out, take and bake, and delivery just to stay afloat during COVID restrictions.
He said restaurants in the province are facing multiple challenges right now including staffing shortages, supply chain management, and the rising cost of food.
Frenkow said she’s going to miss working at Royal Fork Buffet, the staff, and the customers.
“It‘s very sad because there’s about 30 employees that are out of a job.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
Minister 'outraged' after AFN national chief's headdress taken from Air Canada cabin
The federal minister of Crown-Indigenous relations is calling on Air Canada to 'make things right' with the national chief of the Assembly of First Nations, who said her headdress was removed from an airplane cabin during a flight this week.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
From faulty kids' cribs to flammable kids' bathrobes, here are the recalls of the week
Health Canada issued recalls for various items this week, including kids’ bathrobes, cribs and henna cones.
Taylor Swift dons Montreal designer's dress in 'Fortnight' video
A pair of Montreal designers' work has now been viewed over 41 million times. Taylor Swift dons a Victorian throwback black gown in her latest music video, 'Fortnight', designed by UNTTLD due Simon Belanger and Jose Manuel Saint-Jacques.
'Too young to have breast cancer': Rates among young Canadian women rising
Breast cancer rates are rising in Canada among women in their 20s, 30s and 40s, according to research by the University of Ottawa (uOttawa).
'Violation': CSIS had officer investigated after she reported a superior raped her
A CSIS officer's allegations that she was raped repeatedly by a superior in agency vehicles set off a harassment inquiry, but also triggered an investigation into her that concluded the alleged attacks were a “misuse” of agency vehicles by the woman.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.