urbottawa
Active Member
Discussion History:
Ottawa-Gatineau Restaurant News
Ottawa-Gatineau Restaurant News
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Ottawa/Gatineau Restaurant News
- Thread starter urbottawa
- Start date
Dzingle Bells
New Member
Good news for Rideau Street! Anyone have any ideas who this tenant could be?
https://obj.ca/asian-restaurant-to-take-over-former-mcdonalds/
The building at 99 Rideau St. that was home to a McDonald’s restaurant for nearly four decades has been leased to an eatery that will focus on Asian cuisine, real estate brokerage Colliers told OBJ on Monday.
Kevin Houlahan, a sales representative with Colliers, would not name the building’s new occupant. He described him as a chef with more than 15 years of experience who is “well-known in the Asian community for his exceptional culinary work in Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa.”
The new business is a partnership between the restaurateur and a group from Toronto, Houlahan said, adding the new tenants signed a 10-year lease at the property on Friday.
“The focus will be on fine Chinese/Asian cuisine with a highlight on dim sum and specialty seafood dishes,” he said.
The property will be renovated to include a sit-down dining room with an entrance on Rideau Street as well as a takeout window. Houlahan said the owners hope to open the new restaurant this summer.
The move marks a new chapter for the 3,917-square-foot space, which McDonald’s occupied from 1985 until last May.
The fast-food outlet became notorious for drawing rowdy late-night crowds after last call at nearby bars and restaurants. A video of a person pulling a baby raccoon out of a sweater during a fight at the restaurant in 2013 went viral, and the franchise owner eventually shortened the location’s hours.
Houlahan said the arrival of the new restaurant will be another milestone in the ongoing revitalization of Rideau Street, which was hit hard by the pandemic.
Earlier this month, the National Capital Commission revealed it has acquired the former Chapters building at 47-57 Rideau St. NCC chief executive Tobi Nussbaum told reporters last week the Crown corporation is negotiating with a group that wants to convert the 60,000-square-foot space into an events centre.
“It’s nice to see redevelopment in the area,” Houlahan said. “It’s another positive (story) for Rideau Street.”
He said the former McDonald’s, which was put up for lease last spring, attracted “substantial interest” from a range of quick-service restaurants and other potential tenants who sense that things are looking up in downtown Ottawa.
“We’re overcoming those hurdles,” Houlahan said, pointing to measures aimed at making the neighbourhood safer such as the new police hub at the Rideau Centre that is slated to become operational later this spring.
https://obj.ca/asian-restaurant-to-take-over-former-mcdonalds/
Asian restaurant to take over former Rideau Street McDonald’s location
Nearly a year after it was vacated, one of downtown Ottawa’s most iconic retail spaces has a new tenant.The building at 99 Rideau St. that was home to a McDonald’s restaurant for nearly four decades has been leased to an eatery that will focus on Asian cuisine, real estate brokerage Colliers told OBJ on Monday.
Kevin Houlahan, a sales representative with Colliers, would not name the building’s new occupant. He described him as a chef with more than 15 years of experience who is “well-known in the Asian community for his exceptional culinary work in Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa.”
The new business is a partnership between the restaurateur and a group from Toronto, Houlahan said, adding the new tenants signed a 10-year lease at the property on Friday.
“The focus will be on fine Chinese/Asian cuisine with a highlight on dim sum and specialty seafood dishes,” he said.
The property will be renovated to include a sit-down dining room with an entrance on Rideau Street as well as a takeout window. Houlahan said the owners hope to open the new restaurant this summer.
The move marks a new chapter for the 3,917-square-foot space, which McDonald’s occupied from 1985 until last May.
The fast-food outlet became notorious for drawing rowdy late-night crowds after last call at nearby bars and restaurants. A video of a person pulling a baby raccoon out of a sweater during a fight at the restaurant in 2013 went viral, and the franchise owner eventually shortened the location’s hours.
Houlahan said the arrival of the new restaurant will be another milestone in the ongoing revitalization of Rideau Street, which was hit hard by the pandemic.
Earlier this month, the National Capital Commission revealed it has acquired the former Chapters building at 47-57 Rideau St. NCC chief executive Tobi Nussbaum told reporters last week the Crown corporation is negotiating with a group that wants to convert the 60,000-square-foot space into an events centre.
“It’s nice to see redevelopment in the area,” Houlahan said. “It’s another positive (story) for Rideau Street.”
He said the former McDonald’s, which was put up for lease last spring, attracted “substantial interest” from a range of quick-service restaurants and other potential tenants who sense that things are looking up in downtown Ottawa.
“We’re overcoming those hurdles,” Houlahan said, pointing to measures aimed at making the neighbourhood safer such as the new police hub at the Rideau Centre that is slated to become operational later this spring.
Chick-fil-A Today!!!
btap
New Member
Little Victories is opening a new location at Queen/Bank (I think where Morning Owl used to be). Good news for downtown coming back to life a little. The location on Elgin is always jammed.
From their instagram:
"Today, LVC celebrates 8 years of business. We thought it would be a great opportunity to share a small part of our story & at the same time, announce our new location, soon to be open at the corner of Bank & Queen Street!
Back in 2017 before we had secured Glebe, we tried to purchase the lease for this location from the previous tenant which had been operating there. Having only 14 months of wholesale business and a small café in Hintonburg to show for it, the landlord at the time ultimately chose to not release the space to us. That decision led us to look elsewhere in the city, where we ultimately found our home at 801 Bank.
Fast forward to 2024, the building is under new ownership, and the space fell back on our radar after the success of our Elgin location. We are so excited to be opening here in the spring, with our vision for the space that we loved 7 years ago, fully coming to reality. This café will FEEL different from the moment you walk in, and should be an absolute treasure in the downtown core."
From their instagram:
"Today, LVC celebrates 8 years of business. We thought it would be a great opportunity to share a small part of our story & at the same time, announce our new location, soon to be open at the corner of Bank & Queen Street!
Back in 2017 before we had secured Glebe, we tried to purchase the lease for this location from the previous tenant which had been operating there. Having only 14 months of wholesale business and a small café in Hintonburg to show for it, the landlord at the time ultimately chose to not release the space to us. That decision led us to look elsewhere in the city, where we ultimately found our home at 801 Bank.
Fast forward to 2024, the building is under new ownership, and the space fell back on our radar after the success of our Elgin location. We are so excited to be opening here in the spring, with our vision for the space that we loved 7 years ago, fully coming to reality. This café will FEEL different from the moment you walk in, and should be an absolute treasure in the downtown core."
Morning Owl? That what took over the Laura Secord?
btap
New Member
Walking Guy on (the platform formerly known as) Twitter said three Bridgehead locations are closing: Rideau Centre, Bank and Albert, Westboro Station
That Westboro one is frickin massive for a coffee shop, not surprised it was unprofitable!
btap
New Member
The Citizen article on this says a new Westboro coffee shop is opening across the street from the Bridgehead that’s closing:
Coffee shops, like all restaurants, have struggled since the COVID-19 pandemic, with razor-thin profit margins and difficulty in training and retaining staff, said Chris Petrie, a veteran of Ottawa’s coffee culture.
Petrie left his job managing five stores for Almonte-based Equator Coffee in December and is opening up his own café this spring, The Bower Coffee Co., across the street from the closing Westboro Bridgehead.
ottawacitizen.com
Coffee shops, like all restaurants, have struggled since the COVID-19 pandemic, with razor-thin profit margins and difficulty in training and retaining staff, said Chris Petrie, a veteran of Ottawa’s coffee culture.
Petrie left his job managing five stores for Almonte-based Equator Coffee in December and is opening up his own café this spring, The Bower Coffee Co., across the street from the closing Westboro Bridgehead.
Bridgehead shutters three Ottawa coffeehouses in advance of company sale
Several locations are being closed two weeks after the company announced its sale to Toronto's Pilot Roasters.
ottawacitizen.com
I wonder if it's the corner unit here, or if there are retail units at the other end under the tower...
btap
New Member
No it’s across the street from the one that’s closing at Richmond and Golden (near the Clocktower pub). The Bridgehead beside Farm Boy isn’t closing.
Another Dairy Queen Bites the Dust on CTV News:
The site of the former Dairy Queen on Merivale Road. (DQ/Instagram)
William Eltherington
CTV News Ottawa Digital Multi-Skilled Journalist
Published Feb. 23, 2024 3:40 p.m. EST
Dairy Queen has confirmed its location on Merivale Road has permanently closed.
The location was the last in the city that offered outside walk-up services and had been a vestige of fast food architecture dating back to the 1950's.
'A rite of spring': Iconic Dairy Queen location on Merivale Road closes
William Eltherington
CTV News Ottawa Digital Multi-Skilled Journalist
Published Feb. 23, 2024 3:40 p.m. EST
Dairy Queen has confirmed its location on Merivale Road has permanently closed.
The location was the last in the city that offered outside walk-up services and had been a vestige of fast food architecture dating back to the 1950's.
kelnoz
New Member
The one on Alexandre-Taché in Hull still has outside walk-up if that's something people are really nostalgic about.
New Gabriels opening up at Front/Allumettieres in Aylmer, right at the end of my street. I have never had Gabriel's in my life, is it any good?
pgagnon
Active Member
For "fast food pizza" Gabriels is my favorite. It aint cheap but you'll get good quality, think and fulfilling fresh pizza. Would definitely recommend!