Oakwood Cafe on South Osborne to Permanently Close

The Oakwood has been an institution along south Osborne since the 1980s. From a brief time it was Samantha's but has been the Oakwood ever since. It hasn't always been perfect. In 40 years, sometimes the minimum wage increases have put the restaurant in a pinch and they have publicly said so. 

It is a very tough business but the restaurant has benefitted from a stellar location. It is across from the Safeway, leisure center and library in a neighbourhood that has had a real uptick in the last ten years. But alas, as restaurant owners get older, the desire to pass on the place grows and sometimes there is just no one to take over. 

I have no idea if there was an attempt to sell the restaurant. It may be the landlord already had someone in mind for the spot as well. This happens more often than people realize. Various landlords in Winnipeg are shuffling tenants. Retail shopping areas including St. Vital Shopping Centre are being bought and sold. In some cases tenants are finding they are not renewed.

Even for restaurateurs who own the land they are on sometimes find it better to close and the land re-purposed under new owners. Examples abound this last few years. Whatever the reason, a number of people are mourning the loss of the family restaurant they went for breakfasts and family get togethers. A number of people remembered their favourite dining options.

Family restaurants are often the glue in terms of gathering spots in a community. Not everyone wants a fast food choice or pizza chain. Sometimes you want a table for several and diverse meal choices. The closing of the Oakwood Cafe is the end of an era.