Arby's and Pur & Simple Come to Kildonan's Peguis Promenade in 2027

Arby's said they would be expanding again in Winnipeg. The one Arby's now is at Seasons of Tuxedo. The new Arby's will be adjacent to the one that closed in Kildonan Place in a small mall on Reenders Driver. When Arby's retreated from the Canadian market for a while there were fans in Manitoba and Ontario who mourned its loss and lobbied for its return. When a location opened at Seasons, there were lineups for weeks.

Shindico has indicated that the first tenants will be in place before the end of 2027. Aside from Arby's, the Quebec-based Pur and Simple breakfast place will also be moving in. Breakfasts are proving to be a strength in the fast food industry lately. Pur and Simple has already found success with their Seasons location so one off Regent is likely to do well.

The road construction in the area seemed to last years as did Kildonan Place. Even now the final touches on a multi-year changes to the mall are reaching completion. The collapse of so many department stores and other retailers plus the post Covid world has re-shaped the commercial and residential market. They have found they need each other in proximity for success.

I suspect Arby's as well as Pur and Simple are looking for other locations in the city. The Costco locations off Main and the Downs are both in need of local restaurants as more and more housing reaches completion in those areas. Winnipeg's population has gone up and some stores and restaurants are closing due to shifting tastes, retirements or changes in where traffic goes. 

The economy is showing mixed signals but the heavy duty infrastructure is helping with employment. Were it is not for the trade issues south of the border, Canada might be in a better place with inflation and growth. Some developments which have been very slow out the gate seem to be ready to go market this year and next. For the Kildonan area, this will likely help people stick to their area for shopping and restaurants. Quite a few from the neighbourhood went all the way across town for their roast beef fix.

Bath Depot Now Open Regent West

In mid August Bath Depot opened their first prairie location on Regent Avenue West. It is the 48th location for the Quebec-based retailer founded by four brothers in 2008. The whole family had plumbing experience but wanted to bring under one rood manufacturing, distribution and retailing of bathroom items.

The goal of the family business was to be a box store and boutique but to keep prices reasonable. With tariff problems being what they are, it makes more sense than ever to have manufacturing and supply chain tied into a Canadian closed loop.

As the first venture into the prairies. Bath Depot is straying from the denser population of central Canada. However, the reward is a stronger west economy and becoming a true national retailer. There is probably room to challenge retailers such as Home Depot and Rona.

Some Canadian retailer have managed to do very well in Canada. There is likely room for more stores beyond 1530 Regent. There are opportunities in south, north and west Winnipeg still. Initially, it might be contractors who discover this store and then a wider audience will start to pay attention. Expect to see more stores soon.

Second New Costco Coming Off North Main

The Costco at Kenaston seen in the above picture never has this empty a parking lot. This was taken during the Covid period. Built in 1992 and expanded, it was the biggest of box stores to go up in the area and attracted Walmart in 2000 and many other stores over the years. Costco parent company Kirkland said during an event honouring their CEO in Winnipeg that the city was on track to get a fourth Costco soon. Well, the last five years have been difficult ones with the pandemic, supply chain issues and now tariffs but the Winnipeg region has seen announcements for a fourth Costco and now a fifth Costco as well.

Two new Costcos in the 160,000+ square feet size in the west and north of the city are gamechangers. In truth, the city will have little say about the one on North Main as that is a block or so into the West St. Paul Municipality. Approvals are likely to speed through there. It is possible the province might have something to say about urban sprawl or traffic along Main. Meadowland and Main could become exceptionally busy.

I don't think there is anyone in Winnipeg who will deny that the three Costcos in Winnipeg now are packed to the rafters. Kenaston's store can be a nightmare at any time in the next and on any day.  Getting to the store along Kenaston is just as bad and those coming into the city or across the city to get to any Costco must dread it. 

It is without a doubt that people in the west and north parts of the city will make the new Costcos their chosen location. To be sure, it will relieve some of the strain on the other locations. However, the business is growing even now so people should not expect wide aisles with no one around to be annoyed as you stroll slowly with your cart sideways.

As for the smallest Costco, it will be closed a few months to become a Costco Business Center. It is very likely we will see a publicity push to explain what that is. For all intents, it will be a bulk supplier of goods and more suitable for a restaurant than say a family kitchen, better for an office manager than printer cartridges for the family office and so on.

In essence though, by the end of 2026, Winnipeg will have four Costcos and one Costco Business Center. They will cover all four quadrants of the city and the more central Polo Park area. The new locations will transform the north and the west retailing when they go up. That is to say that retailers who sell gas, do car repairs or sell services will have to better match prices. No more premium on gas sold on west Portage or north Main. Competitive prices on tire sales, tune-ups and the like. 

Grocery stores in the area will have to keep watch on prices at Costco. And restaurants will want to locate near Costcos. This is true for retailers as well. I can't imagine a liquor or cannabis store will want to be too far away. Just think what Costco did for the Kenaston area. In short, could Costco on west Portage result in Moxie's, Earls or Joeys opening nearby? Expect there to be a rush.

Hundreds of jobs will be created in construction and hundreds more employed at the stores. All in all this is a very good news story for Winnipeg as well as West St. Paul. This will hopefully add more competition to the grocery, gas and merchandise market in the city. The Unicity location should be up by October 2025 and the other location is expected in 2026.

Costco Finally Gets a Fourth Store

 

We saw plans in 2018 for a Costco by Assiniboia Downs and were told by their chief executive in a visit that a fourth store was coming but then the pandemic came in 2020 and all plans were off the table. It is now 2023 and similar plans are back for the same site. Same size Costco at 166,000+ feet and more parking than the original plan had. Keep in mind that Kenaston's Costco has had to parking expansions since it was built in 2007 and still barely has space each and every day. Regent also added parking as it too reached capacity. St. James doesn't have that option as the smallest location and doesn't even have a gas station. 

The new location appears to be larger than Kenaston and Regent. Those were built to a standard 150,000+ square feet. Same size as what is in Fargo, North Dakota. I found no records they ever expanded beyond original building. The first two Costcos at St. James/Polo Park and Regent were built in 1990 and 1992.  The third at Kenaston came, as mentioned, in 1992. The first Walmarts in Canada came in 1994 when Woolco was taken over by the big U.S. chain. It would take another six years or so for Walmarts to move to better locations. The original Costco in Burnaby, B.C. came in 1985 and this head start over other U.S. retailer gave it a strong advantage. The largest Costco in Canada is the recently completely one in St. John's at 182,000 square feet. That's pretty big but there largest in the States is 230,000 square feet.

Early arrivals and adapting have helped the Costcos and the Walmarts survive in Canada while the Targets and Nordstrom's have failed. If Costco is adding a fourth store, it is certainly because the demand warrants it. The Facebook and Reddit discussions mention the issues with crowds in Winnipeg and no doubt there is joy in the city that a new location is coming.

The one thing a Costco does in an area is create some competition. In terms of gas sales, Costco has an effect on pricing downwards for a few blocks surrounding it. Likewise, car maintenance places have to keep an eye on the warehouse store lest they lose business to it. A fourth Costco is good for consumers. Costco pharmacies have impacts on dispensing fees, optical purchases, meat, bakery and produce and third party business purchases.

Interviews with some business leaders like Foodfare in Winnipeg have shown they don't fear Costco. They have carved out a business operation that has worked well although everyone has been re-thinking supply chain issues, reliability and inflation. As the pandemic showed, overseas supply chain worked insofar as cheaper products only when fuel costs were low, world trade stability in check and interest rates down. Inflation means cost controls will come from supplies closer to home, sharing more costs of warehousing and shipping, more automation in logistics and if Costco's example is any indication, an army of people on the floor to assist in the human to human element of running a shop.

The development that Costco is in is called Westport Festival. There will be two traffic lights leading into it. The Red River Ex and Assiniboia Downs are located north of. The Iceplex is east of it as well as the car dealerships. It has been a busy area at times and it could get busier. It could very well be that this leads to more lanes on that section of road. The stretch to Headingley has been notorious for years for speeding and collisions.

It is difficult to say if Costco will make it easier along the section by the Kenaston location. The development of the Kapyong area into 2024 and the growth of Bridgwater and communities beyond make it seem like no relief is coming soon to the area. However, for many in the west part of the city, they can choose to use the new Costco.

No timeline exists for the opening but 2024 seems reasonable. A big question is whether Portage West Walmart will upgrade to compete. It doesn't have the grocery of other Walmarts and might lose business without doing something. We might see a few businesses along the street look to improve because it is not only Costco going up in that retail area.

For Winnipeggers, is the chance of more competition for these high inflation times.

Jollibee's to Open Third Location on Nairn

Jollibee's restaurant opened their very first Canadian restaurant in 2016 at Polo Park to huge success. For several months there were line-ups every day and some Filipino Canadians coming from other provinces just to to get a taste of home.

Since then other Jollibee's have opened in Canada including another on McPhillips in 2017.  Success for the Philippine's biggest restaurant export always meant expanding beyond serving its own community.  It is that confidence that probably led to the decision to expand to eastern Winnipeg in the former Chicken Chef location (2006-2021) at 1130 Nairn.

Chicken Chef moved further east to 1600 Regent from their former location. After 15 years at a site that once was Taco Time and several other restaurants,  Chicken Chef has proved it has a customer base in the area.

 Nairn/Regent is an extremely busy road. The side of the road your business is on can really dictate the traffic seen. On Nairn, it is almost always on the south side. It could be quite busy at lunch and dinner at this Jollibee's location.

Look to see them open in weeks.

The Last Arby's in Winnipeg Closed

And then there was none.

It is reported that Kildonan Place Arby's closed and will not be re-opening.

Kildonan is undergoing a major renovation and a new food court. Arby's will not be going.

In 2013, there was two mall restaurants and one stand-alone.

Is it the end?

Well, we have seen Swiss Chalet leave and then come back, KFC to a lot of closings and then come back. But will people come back for curly fries? Time will tell.

A Little Pizza Heaven Coming to Regent and Day

A Little Pizza of Heaven was approved for Regent and Day at the Committee level for their new sign at the former location of Pizza Pizza and before that Pizza Hut. The local Councillor added that exterior colours (now orange) be changed to colours matching the sign.

This will be the fourth location for the pizza restaurant that will be trying to make it where an international Goliath was as well as top Winnipeg group. From humble beginning on Portage Avenue where University of Winnipeg students once munch on their fare, they have thrived in Osborne, St. James, St. Vital and Regent.

Regent and Day is a prominent corner in Transcona and hearkens back to a time when the street was the main commercial drive for a city. It still is although malls have made it more difficult. Still, it is places where you can hang your hat and take-out and have delivered that can thrive.

Look to see them open in the near future.

Grant Park Plaza - The Early Days 1967

Grant Park started construction in 1962 and by 1964 it resembled more a big box strip mall than the enclosed mall today. By 1967 it looked like the store directory above. As seen, the mall had two groceries to start: Dominion and Safeway. It was also anchored by two department stores Woolco and Clark's.

But what is Clark's? This store seems to have slipped from the mists of memory for many. It wasn't the only Clark's in town either. There was one on Panet Road at Regent/Nairn.

The above was the Winnipeg location at Panet in 1962. The picture is commonly mistaken for Grant Park and I made it as well.

Clark's was the forerunner of Gambles and was owned by St. Louis-based Gamble-Skogmo which had a stable of stores under many brands. They also owned MacLeod's Hardware of Winnipeg.

Clark's actually went all the way to the Supreme Court and lost to prevent further expansion of Grant Park Plaza in 1967. It was to prevent becoming an enclosed mall as well as stopping Woolco from coming in. Their legal challenge didn't work and eventually the mall was enclosed and Clark's became Gambles.

Eventually Gambles was purchased by Zellers and the Clark's and Gambles names were gone forever from Winnipeg. It would take decades but the Zellers name itself would disappear as owner Hudson's Bay Company would sell it to Target. Some stores remained Zellers but in 2019, HBC will close the final two stores in Ontario.

Grant Park Shopping Centre as one of the oldest malls in Canada has seen tremendous change but was never allowed to simply deteriorate as some malls have in Canada. It was innovative in getting a movie theatre of substance even before places like Polo Park. It became home to the first big box book store in Winnipeg which remains strong today. And it was one of the first to have restaurants in its parking lot.

After its most recent makeover, that added Canadian Tire and Goodlife, it seems the mall has settled into a format that is working for it even where some of its competitors have undone their enclosed concept.

Perkins Madison Polo Park Location Closes

Can anyone be surprised? Another Perkins has closed suddenly on Madison. Last year it was Kenaston and Fermor locations closing. This year it is Henderson and now Madison locations. Three more Perkins remain on Portage, Regent and McPhillips. Can they be the next to go?

Is one IHOP location and a few Pancake Houses crushing Perkins? Is it Skip the Dishes? By the way, Perkins works with Skip but are people just ordering everywhere and not going out?

The parent company Perkins and Marie Callender is in bankruptcy again. They are closing stores. However, keep in mind the last time they had problems, the last Winnipeg owner of Perkins kept things going. She seemed to have the pulse of the city despite whatever woes happened in the U.S.

The new owner is Calgary-based and used to be president of Smitty's. I'm assuming the former Winnipeg owner of all the Perkins in the city much be gobsmacked that the locations here are in such trouble considering that Smitty's continues to be doing okay.

The restaurant business is as tough as they come. For every place that goes on for decades, there are a many who don't make the year. My defunct restaurants of Winnipeg post is the top post this blog has seen with hundreds a week looking it up.

Guess everyone will be keeping an eye out on the remaining locations. Never want to write a place off because we have seen some comebacks in both retail and restaurants. However, losing a prominent location like Polo Park is huge.

Popeyes Coming to Crossroads Station

A short time ago I mentioned that Popeyes was going to built in the former Hakim Optical on West Portage. Now we have a Popeyes announcement for the east of Winnipeg on Regent at Crossroad Station.

The closing of Payless Shoes across North America left a glut of real estate in many communities including Winnipeg where we had several locations. Some of those locations are attracting interest while others sit empty as most of the continent looks to find new uses for retail space.

In the case of Crossroad Station the wait for a new use came quick. The popularity of Popeyes in Winnipeg is evident any time you drive past Seasons of Tuxedo. The location there is always busy both inside the store  and the drive-thru. There is no doubt that the location on Regent will be extremely popular.

Also part of the complex where Popeyes will be located is an EB Games and an Ultracuts.

Zoning is just going through so expect a few months to pass before we see Crossroad Station Popeyes go up but should be ready for fall/winter of 2019.

Fionn MacCool's Closed on Regent

Fionn MacCool's Crossroads Station shopping center is closed today with a notice thanking people for their patronage. The Irish pub has been a fixture of the street since 2014 and is directly across from Kildonan Place. It seems suppliers were not even informed of the quick shutdown.

The notice in the window recommends that patrons go to the Grant Park location which has been open since 2017. It is not known what led to the shutdown of the Regent location. It is interesting to note that Hudson Bay Home behind it is also closing but one probably is not linked to the other.

Kildonan Place across the street is getting a multi-million expansion so the lucrativeness of that location should probably remain.

Will be interesting to see what comes in place of the Irish pub in the months ahead.