Nope. Not sure yet. No one knows what format broadway will be but it will convert at some point.

In unsurprising news, The Hills (the new restaurant in the Olympia/Bottega space) has evictions notices on it. Apparently they owe $46k in rent.

It is really, really too bad Bottega/the Heights couldn't have stuck around and officially, fully opened. It was a great space.

The Hills looked like a total flop from the moment the signage went up.

In other downtown closures: Stacked Burger Bar and The Ivy Dining/League Sports Bar.

Not mourning any of these losses -- frees the spaces up for hopefully something better.

Hearing rumours of something exciting finally going into the vacant Riversdale Deli space.

new resto, apparently with a rooftop patio

Cool. I suppose that would involve removing the rooftop billboards from that building. Win-win.

Really..... stacked had to go. Damn...

They determined after a building inspection that a rooftop patio wouldn't be feasible.

The restaurant will be called Imperio, and it's being opened by the same group (Taste.) as Una Pizza + Wine.

Stacked is a shame. You could see the potential when it opened and then the quality just went down until it was another burger place. Never been to the Ivy, but I watched the last UFC show at League and thought it was a pretty great place honestly. Really good burgers.

maybe it was good because i went 3 times in the first 2 months. but ill take your word over mine.

ivy has amazing food, little more pricy, but worth it. more of a fancier diner, took a friend of mine out a year ago, had this lamb special ( with whatever it came with ) with some good wine. i recommend it to everyone.

The owners of Mr Rizos announced a couple weeks ago that they'll be retiring and closing the restaurant on February 26th.

If you haven't had the chance to go, you should. It's definitely the undiscovered gem of restaurants in Saskatoon, given the building it is unfortunately in.

https://www.facebook.com/SaskatoonsB...SEARCH&fref=nf

New pinball cafe nets high score in Saskatoon

Pokey's Pinball Cafe opened its doors earlier this month in Saskatoon

January 27, 2017
By Victoria Dinh, CBC News

Jason Carroll has bounced back after his life was tilted on its side.

He was laid off from his job after working at an information technology firm for the past 14 years.

"I didn't know what I wanted to do really, and just had the opportunity to combine two of my passions," Carroll explained to CBC Radio's Saskatoon Morning.

Those two passions, he said, consisted of pinball and food.

Earlier this month, he opened the doors to a new pinball-inspired cafe called Pokey's Pinball Cafe located on 211-B 33rd Street W.

[........]

Read more:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskat...toon-1.3955311

Dale MacKay group to make third Saskatoon restaurant a family affair

By Alex MacPherson, Saskatoon StarPhoenix
February 2, 2017

The chefs and managers behind two of Saskatoon’s most popular restaurants are a close-knit bunch, but their latest project promises to be an entirely different kind of family affair.

Sticks and Stones, which Dale MacKay, Christopher Cho and Nathan Guggenheimer plan to open on Second Avenue late next month, takes much of its inspiration from Cho’s parents, who live in Cape Verde.

“They’re missionaries in Africa, and they came all the way here and they spent two weeks with us, and we made almost 2,000 pounds of kimchi,” MacKay said. “We wanted to look at what a home cook would do, you know? And Cho’s mom is a fantastic home cook.”

The 65-seat restaurant’s menu will be dominated by Korean and Japanese dishes, including kimchi fried rice, stews, ramen and sushi rolls, Cho said. It will also double as a late-night cocktail spot in the heart of Saskatoon’s entertainment district, he added.

[........]

Read more:
http://thestarphoenix.com/business/l...-family-affair

Boy....lots of conjecture on the Regina thread about a H & M store opening in Cornwall Centre in Regina. If these rumours are true, I have to say I am a little bit surprised that Regina would get one before Saskatoon, as Saskatoon seems to be getting the major chains stores in advance of Regina lately...but maybe one will be coming to Saskatoon as well, when an appropriate space opens up (downtown I would hope!). Maybe where the American Apparel on 21st street was, but I think that is still too small for H & M.

^ It's probably a matter of the right space at the right time. Whether it's Saskatoon first or Regina first, when a store come to one it usually means it's coming to the other soon enough.

I think in Regina they found the exact right space. Downtown, connected to the major shopping centre but with street frontage on a very busy pedestrian corner. Plus they need close to 20,000 SF. They might have to build something in Saskatoon.

https://scontent.fyxe1-1.fna.fbcdn.n...97&oe=593EAD9F

^ Yes, that is perfect.

If only Sears would finally fold, that would present great opportunities.

Neat video on Market Mall. Any ideas on what will go into the old Zellers location.....



https://youtu.be/EaHoZePkN28

MAC Cosmetics will be replacing the Boutiques of Leather in Midtown.

If one were to open downtown, the Midtown Plaza would be the best spot, as far as accessibility and location. But the only unit in the mall that is big enough to house an H&M would be where Sportchek is currently located on the second floor. Plus it would have a few street facing windows.

As for the American Apparel Location, I think it could be viable, but they would almost certainly need to acquire Manhatten casuals location nextdoor and/or use the second floor for additional floor space, which is possible as most European locations are split amoungst many floors in old buildings.