Winnipeg Restaurants

[buzzg]

Update on Confusion Corner – seems like they're not wanting to sell, but looking for 1 or 2 new investors as they want to completely gut the place top to bottom. Were hoping to do it over this summer but will likely have to wait til next summer.

[CoryB]

The big problem with Dunkin Donuts when it came here is there was near zero local marketing done. They also clearly didn't have the most prime locations.

[wardlow]

Looks like Little Sister Coffee is expanding to a second location on South Osborne. This location is an old Bank of Montreal branch at the corner of Morley and Osborne.

[Wolf13]

Originally Posted by wardlow

Looks like Little Sister Coffee is expanding to a second location on South Osborne. This location is an old Bank of Montreal branch at the corner of Morley and Osborne.

That's awesome!

[Kris22]

Originally Posted by Wolf13

That's awesome!

There's also another hipster coffee joint down there too, I think it's called Parkline Coffee. It was only a matter of time before the trend hit South Osborne.

I personally drink and love disgustingly cheap and unpretentious Maxwell House dark roast that I just bought today at $6.50 for a large can that will last me months. I guess I'm trash that way.

[CoryB]

The Starbucks at 201 Portage Ave has their windows papered over today. Not sure if it is for renos or permanently. If it is permanent 201 has a real bad history with keeping coffee shops open which is a little surprising for an office building of its size.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by Kris22

There's also another hipster coffee joint down there too, I think it's called Parkline Coffee. It was only a matter of time before the trend hit South Osborne.

I personally drink and love disgustingly cheap and unpretentious Maxwell House dark roast that I just bought today at $6.50 for a large can that will last me months. I guess I'm trash that way.

Haha, you figured out how to beat the system. You can't instagram a cup of Max but it hits the spot just as fine

That is nice to see for South Osborne, but too bad Bijou is gone. The one thing that area is missing now is a sushi restaurant. It must be one of the few neighbourhoods in town that doesn't have one. When I lived around there I would have appreciated having one within walking distance.

[Kris22]

Originally Posted by esquire

Haha, you figured out how to beat the system. You can't instagram a cup of Max but it hits the spot just as fine

May be beating the system now but I'm sure Starbucks and Second Cup claimed a couple thousand dollars of my income during the last decade. They win. haha.

As far as South Osborne development goes, I think the area needs to see more midrise development in order to support a whole strip of businesses. As of now it's surrounded mainly by single-family homes and a handful of 3/4 storey apartments. It would be great to see a few high-rises right along Osborne.

[Wpg_Guy]

Originally Posted by CoryB

The Starbucks at 201 Portage Ave has their windows papered over today. Not sure if it is for renos or permanently. If it is permanent 201 has a real bad history with keeping coffee shops open which is a little surprising for an office building of its size.

This is complete speculation but i think it has to do with their plan to redevelop the lobby which they want to orient towards Portage and Main, that was according to Rosanne Hill Blaisdell (Vice President, Leasing, Harvard Developments) last fall on CJOB.

Taylor McCaffrey is pleased to partner with Harvard who has invested significantly in creating new tenant amenities at 201 Portage Avenue through the redevelopment of the underground concourse, the food court, the addition of a state-of-the-art conference centre, and a complete redevelopment of the Main Floor Lobby at 201 Portage planned for 2019.

https://www.tmlawyers.com/taylor-mcc...-new-premises/

Harvard is actively marketing the CRU in parkade along Albert, if they could land some tenants there that could bring some life back to that corner.

[borkborkbork]

Originally Posted by esquire

Haha, you figured out how to beat the system. You can't instagram a cup of Max but it hits the spot just as fine

That is nice to see for South Osborne, but too bad Bijou is gone. The one thing that area is missing now is a sushi restaurant. It must be one of the few neighbourhoods in town that doesn't have one. When I lived around there I would have appreciated having one within walking distance.

It seems strange that there's 4 in a 3-block radius on Osborne (Meiji, Wakoya, Naru, Wasabi) but none in South Osborne.

You could say it's because SO lacks the density, but there's a lot of other neighbourhoods that are equally lacking in density but have sushi...

[esquire]

^ Most neighbourhoods have one as part of the usual strip mall business collection (drug store, Autopac, liquor mart, dry cleaner, chiropractor, dollar store, sushi restaurant).

[borkborkbork]

Originally Posted by Wpg_Guy

Harvard is actively marketing the CRU in parkade along Albert, if they could land some tenants there that could bring some life back to that corner.

Thank god! That would make such a difference on Albert.

The fact that those prime CRUs were being used as storage for graduation dresses for a charity was... interesting. I'd be very interested to better understand the economics of that choice. I'd be interested to know if the owners are simultaneously claiming rental losses and credits for the space as an in-kind charitable donation.

[Wolf13]

Originally Posted by Kris22

There's also another hipster coffee joint down there too, I think it's called Parkline Coffee. It was only a matter of time before the trend hit South Osborne.

I personally drink and love disgustingly cheap and unpretentious Maxwell House dark roast that I just bought today at $6.50 for a large can that will last me months. I guess I'm trash that way.

Hipsters annoy the shit outta me haha, but damn can they cook and make a drink. Well, and while none of their weird products service me, they take life into their own hands and add new flavour to neighbourhoods.

Then they talk and ruin it, but I digress

Thanks for the heads up, will try Parkline!

Originally Posted by CoryB

The Starbucks at 201 Portage Ave has their windows papered over today. Not sure if it is for renos or permanently. If it is permanent 201 has a real bad history with keeping coffee shops open which is a little surprising for an office building of its size.

I wonder how successful that space would be if P+M were open....

Originally Posted by Wpg_Guy

This is complete speculation but i think it has to do with their plan to redevelop the lobby which they want to orient towards Portage and Main, that was according to Rosanne Hill Blaisdell (Vice President, Leasing, Harvard Developments) last fall on CJOB.


https://www.tmlawyers.com/taylor-mcc...-new-premises/

Harvard is actively marketing the CRU in parkade along Albert, if they could land some tenants there that could bring some life back to that corner.

Whoops, beat me to it haha! Exciting on both counts, as Albert could use some life.

Anyone know if that restaurant in there is any good?

[buzzg]

Originally Posted by Wpg_Guy

This is complete speculation but i think it has to do with their plan to redevelop the lobby which they want to orient towards Portage and Main, that was according to Rosanne Hill Blaisdell (Vice President, Leasing, Harvard Developments) last fall on CJOB.


https://www.tmlawyers.com/taylor-mcc...-new-premises/

Harvard is actively marketing the CRU in parkade along Albert, if they could land some tenants there that could bring some life back to that corner.

Are they actually actively marketing it? Because the spaces have been listed as available on their site for years, but I've reached out twice (once through a real estate agent) to inquire about opening a shop there, and it's always been crickets on the other side.

Originally Posted by Kris22

As far as South Osborne development goes, I think the area needs to see more midrise development in order to support a whole strip of businesses. As of now it's surrounded mainly by single-family homes and a handful of 3/4 storey apartments. It would be great to see a few high-rises right along Osborne.

I think people often overlook how much the desolate MTS/Transit/McDonalds property destroys that area. Even though SO is connected to OV by name, this property has completely ruined any sort of connection between the two areas. Hopefully between the few recent openings, Little Sister, and Leopold's opening soon, the area gets a boost – but it's always going to be held back until that lot is repurposed.

Maybe Bell will want to relocate that office one day....

[Wpg_Guy]

[QUOTE=buzzg;8232610]Are they actually actively marketing it? Because the spaces have been listed as available on their site for years, but I've reached out twice (once through a real estate agent) to inquire about opening a shop there, and it's always been crickets on the other side.

It was added to their leasing section on their website recently, it was not there a few months ago.

What kind of business would you open?

[Riverman]

Originally Posted by buzzg

Are they actually actively marketing it? Because the spaces have been listed as available on their site for years, but I've reached out twice (once through a real estate agent) to inquire about opening a shop there, and it's always been crickets on the other side.



I think people often overlook how much the desolate MTS/Transit/McDonalds property destroys that area. Even though SO is connected to OV by name, this property has completely ruined any sort of connection between the two areas. Hopefully between the few recent openings, Little Sister, and Leopold's opening soon, the area gets a boost – but it's always going to be held back until that lot is repurposed.

Maybe Bell will want to relocate that office one day....

Why? It is a mixed use area, would you rather the workers there drive to work in the suburbs? It totally makes sense.

[esquire]

^ The mixed uses are fine, but the site design is abysmal and hurts the walkability of the area. Unfortunately it was built in the early 2000s just before the City began raising its standards for projects like that.

[borkborkbork]

Originally Posted by Riverman

Why? It is a mixed use area, would you rather the workers there drive to work in the suburbs? It totally makes sense.

Here's the site.

It was developed from a brownfield.



There is simply no way the city should have approved this monstrous, ridiculous use of space. That could have been a street-facing MTS building, with all the parking set behind.

But the developer wanted to make more money by building the office removed from the street and subdividing the lot for the gas bar and the drive through McDonald's. Can't fault the developer for trying to do it, but shame on the city for letting them.

[Bdog]

Originally Posted by borkborkbork

Here's the site.

It was developed from a brownfield.



There is simply no way the city should have approved this monstrous, ridiculous use of space. That could have been a street-facing MTS building, with all the parking set behind.

But the developer wanted to make more money by building the office removed from the street and subdividing the lot for the gas bar and the drive through McDonald's. Can't fault the developer for trying to do it, but shame on the city for letting them.

The MTS offices built up to the street would make a nice transition to the blank Transit garage wall, which is also conveniently built up the property line.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by Bdog

The MTS offices built up to the street would make a nice transition to the blank Transit garage wall, which is also conveniently built up the property line.

The transit garage is obviously also a hindrance to that strip's walkability, but the call centre with the huge parking lot out front was the death blow. Flipping the MTS building to the property line would have made a huge difference.