Thom Bargen Coffee Coming to Tuxedo

Tuxedo used to be a town before being absorbed into the city. It didn't have a very big commercial area but what it did have was on Corydon and had enough to support the residential area.

A Safeway and a Shopper's Drug Mart anchor a retail mall and the far end of it is Winnipeg's oldest and most resilient comedy club Rumors. 

A retail mall across the street has provided a host of services and restaurants over the years and for the most part has been fairly stable in what businesses are there. For example there has been a Perth's drycleaner there for decades. Till recently, the Tuxedo Family Restaurant was a staple but controversy over pandemic regulations likely contributed to it closing. A Winnipeg favourite George's Burgers & Subs has taken over and appears to be quite busy.

In 1992, the corner location which had been a hair salon for many years was taken over by a franchise of Grabbajabba. It was an opportunity for many in the area to buy coffee beans for their new machines at home but also a place to sit down, have a coffee, latte and the like with windows all around. Musical artists would play Fridays and Saturdays. The patio came a year later and was a popular spot for dog walkers and bikes.

Th coffee shop lasted several years before Timothy's World Coffee took over and until this year had served the community. The closure was likely disappointing to many who had gotten used to a coffee place on the corner. A Starbucks in the mall at least was still available but often fairly busy.

It must have come as a relief when Thom Bargen Coffee announced they would be taking over and adding to the three locations they already have on Kennedy, Sherbrook and further down Corydon in the Fort Rouge area. The ten year old company is truly a Winnipeg institution and the opportunity to be in a place with patio and parking as well as walkable was likely to go pass up.

It is always tough to run a restaurant business. Many have had tough times these last years. It doesn't matter if it is a franchise or someone's family place. However, we have seen a few close and a few go up in their place. Some areas such as downtown still struggle as they cope with lost customers who no longer live or work in the area. Foot traffic has dried up in many years. Some from endless construction, bike paths on their street that block easier access and crime.

The Tuxedo Mall across has had a makeover in the last few years for its facade as well as the Safeway. The Shell station is gone in favour of an apartment building going up. The parking lot is always filled. This is an important thing to note. The area has always been a mix of recreation, residential, commercial and retail. Vacancies come up from time to time but this particular area has been resilient. 

Thom Bargen should have good success in Tuxedo. And not just because of wealthy customers but because the area draws people every day for everything from groceries to dentists.

As 2024 progresses, we are likely to see more vacancies filled, especially within areas that have shown consistent abilities in drawing people. The more people, the more secure an area feels. And not just feels, actually is. Many stores and businesses in the Tuxedo area are open till 11 PM on most nights and early every day. 

Will this be the last expansion for Thom Bargen? Maybe yes, maybe no. With 10 employees at the new Tuxedo location and not being crazy large, this could be a template for other areas. The problem is that some of those ideal places might just have too high rent. It is a mystery why some landlords don't lower rent to get places filled.

Business announcement have been happening fairly regularly so perhaps we have started to emerge of those tough years,