Winnipeg's new sports and entertainment district (SHED) may be about to begin construction on more than $600 million worth of development, but one long-time institution may not be joining in the renaissance.
The Wagon Wheel Lunch restaurant, one of the city's best-known eateries, particular among CFL football players, who have been known to pull up in the team bus before checking into their hotel so they can enjoy its trademark clubhouse sandwich, has been told it has to vacate the Norlyn Building by March. Its home since 1958 will be demolished soon after as part of the SHED project.
Franny Gomez, who took over the Wagon Wheel last year after the death of longtime owner Louis Mathez, said finding a new location will be expensive and she's unsure whether she can afford to keep the lunch counter running.
"I'm still undecided. Do I continue or do I just quit? I know [potential sites] out there are expensive. It's very hard to afford to move somewhere else. I've been shopping around but I haven't found anything yet," she said.
"It's a possibility that we could shut down."
Such news would undoubtedly set off a lengthy mourning period in Winnipeg, where the Wagon Wheel clubhouse is a big a piece of the city's culinary history.
Ross McGowan, president and CEO of CentreVenture, the downtown Winnipeg development agency spearheading the SHED, said he's doing everything he can to make sure the clubhouse survives, including lending a hand with the Wagon Wheel's rent or move. "We don't want to see them harmed," he said.
from Western Investor February 2012
