Will Dinner Theatre Ever Return?

 For the first time in decades, Winnipeg has no dinner theatre. It has been some time since Celebrations has closed. A combination of years of Covid, rising inflation and a union strike made theatre owners throw in the towel. It remains to be seen whether a private theatre serving dinner will ever be able to get off the ground again in Winnipeg.

Over the decades we have had Holly Mug and Stagewest Dinner Theatre in Winnipeg. The only one listed as still active in Winnipeg is the Tara Players Irish Theatre and Dinner. It is unlikely that Winnipeg has tired of dinner theatre but the margins much be tight and renting a spot in a hotel has to be difficult. Owning your site is probably helpful but that rarely seems to be the case.

Still, Celebrations was around since 1990 and probably able to keep its costs downs by having the same theatre production show in Calgary as well as Edmonton. The days of Canad Inns having their nightclubs and other attractions filled has obviously been more challenging the last few years.

You never want to say never say never when it comes to things making a comeback. Yuk Yuk's is back with a comedy club in Winnipeg at the Hotel Fort Garry after many years of not being here. 

Some dinner theatres like Medieval Times around North America rely on tourism. While tourists likely came to Celebrations, it relied on Winnipeggers and surrounding areas for the bulk of their audiences. The shortage of restaurant staff and the uncertain dynamic post pandemic probably means no business will be in a rush to open. Sill, it will be curious what Canad Inns does with the property. Additional meetings rooms? Performance space?

Stagewest success, which started in Edmonton, was that that they were operators of hotels and wrote literally thousands of plays to perform in their dinner theatre. The Winnipeg operation only closed on Kennedy Street because of the construction of Portage Place. 

I think dinner theatre remains something that Winnipeggers want but it will likely not get unless it has a major partner from a hotel, restaurant or theatre company.  In Calgary and Edmonton, Jubilations (Celebrations sister locations) are based at shopping malls including the West Edmonton Mall. 

The two most likely spots for a dinner theatre would seem to be Polo Park or St. Vital Shopping Centre. However, both are nearly full or completely leased and would likely have to be fully committed to the concept. I am more surprised that neither mall has added a hotel attached to the mall as an amenity. Give the approvals CF Cadillac Fairview has for development around Polo Park that isn't a bad bet. Still, we haven't seen the type of hotel development around malls in this province that U.S. malls have. Even Columbia Mall in Grand Forks which could be called a failed mall still has several hotels surrounding it.

I don't think anything will happen soon but after decades of dinner theatre, it is hard to imagine that it will never return.