It's been a bad year to be a fan of independent restaurants in Winnipeg.
Last January Alycia's, a Ukrainian perogy house that was actor John Candy's favourite restaurant, shut its doors. The Wagon Wheel Lunch, a downtown lunch counter renowned for its world-famous clubhouse sandwich, followed suit in July, and Papa George's, a favourite late-night haunt in Osborne Village, ended its 35-year run in October.
Now C. Kelekis Restaurant, a mainstay of north Main Street since the 1940s, has announced it will close down its grill at the end of January.
Mary Kelekis, 88, who has worked at the family-run business for 70 years, has decided to retire.
"I've worked here all my life. It's a second home to me. [Closing] is a very difficult thing for me," she said.
from Western Investor January 2013
