St. Boniface burger staple back after closing down last year
A beloved burger stand in St. Boniface is back in business.
Mrs. Mikes shut down last year after a half-century of serving the community. Now its doors have reopened and Winnipeggers were lined up to get their fill, even as snow fell on them.
"It's an institution. So glad to see it back," said patron Doug Little.
"They're just like part of the family," said Paulette Desrochers while waiting for her food.
The Mikos family has been running the restaurant since 1969, but last year after 54 years flipping burgers, then-owner Steve Mikos decided to hang up the apron and retire – much to the dismay of Mrs. Mikes regulars.
"(I would) come here with my mom. Even got an ice cream cone back in the 60s, late 60s," said Ken Burns. "Just those magic moments."
Brian Tascona said the burger joint has been a staple for him while living in the neighbourhood.
"Fact is that I've been coming here for over 50 years," said Tascona.
Despite closing the doors, the family was not done with the restaurant just yet.
"Cathy (Mikos) wasn't ready to go yet," said Christina Nakoulas, the niece of owner Cathy Mikos.
"She missed all her customers, we couldn't stay away. So we said, 'We need to come back and keep those burgers going for the community and for all of Winnipeg.'"
Even with Cathy Mikos taking over the restaurant, the time-tested menu is staying the same.
"Same formula. Same menu. Same tastes. Same everything," said Nakoulas.
With lineups of people braving the snow to get their hands on a king burger and chili fries, it's safe to say folks are happy to have them back.
"It's well worth the wait. It's well worth it," said Little.
"It's fantastic. Glad to have them back. They're part of the neighbourhood for decades," said Burns.
"It has a lot of history. And I think it's very, very important to have individual restaurants, apart from regular chains, making burgers. So it's wonderful that this is happening," said Tascona.
The feeling behind the grill is mutual.
"We're just happy to be back in the community and give (Winnipeggers) burgers that they've been eating for 50 years," said Nakoulas.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Three dead, two hospitalized, following collision in Fredericton: police
Three people have died and two have been hospitalized after a speeding car struck a tree and landed on another vehicle in Fredericton Sunday morning.
Amid climate change warnings, Canadians lukewarm on electric vehicles
Amid scientists' warnings that nations need to transition away from fossil fuels to limit climate change, Canadians are still lukewarm on electric vehicles, according to a study conducted by Nanos Research for CTV News.
Montreal man on the hook for thousands of dollars after a feature on his Tesla caused an accident
A Montreal man is warning Tesla drivers about using the Smart Summon feature after his vehicle hit another in a parking lot.
Madonna's biggest-ever concert transforms Rio's Copacabana beach into a massive dance floor
Madonna put on a free concert on Copacabana beach Saturday night, turning Rio de Janeiro's vast stretch of sand into an enormous dance floor teeming with a multitude of her fans.
1 person killed and 23 injured in a bus crash in northern Maryland, police say
One person was killed and 23 others were injured when a bus crashed early Sunday on Interstate 95 in northern Maryland, police said.
Nylander defends Leafs' core after playoff exit, Toronto again picks up the pieces
The Maple Leafs battled back from a 3-1 series deficit against the Boston Bruins with consecutive 2-1 victories - including one that required extra time - in their first-round playoff series to push the club's Original Six rival to the limit before suffering a devastating Game 7 overtime loss.
El Nino weakening doesn't mean cooler temperatures this summer, forecasters say
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
‘Love has no boundaries’: Sask. couple in their 90s and 80s get married
Eighty-two-year-old Susan Neufeldt and 90-year-old Ulrich Richter are no spring chickens, but their love blossomed over the weekend with their wedding at Pine View Manor just outside of Rosthern.
Video shows gaggle of geese stopping traffic on Highway 1 near Vancouver
A mother goose and her goslings caused a bit of a traffic jam on a busy stretch of the Trans-Canada Highway near Vancouver Saturday.