Beloved Saint John diner closing despite new owner’s efforts to ‘keep the TOPS legacy’

A beloved Saint John, N.B., family diner is set to close in a few days despite the new owner’s best efforts to keep its “legacy.”

Opened in 1989, TOPS Eatery has been an uptown favourite for generations.

For the man who started it all, the impending closure is a difficult one.

“(I feel) sick, very, very sick. But I’m 80 years old. How long would I keep it?” said Paul Daeres.

Naveen Saboo, who bought the building and business in May 2024, said the restaurant will serve its last meals on Feb. 8. He said the decision was a tough one but efforts to realign their business strategy have still not helped them financially stay afloat.

He said not even his passion could outrun a 50 per cent drop in sales, costing him nearly a $250,000. He even tried offering Indian dishes but that move received pushback online.

“I tried my best to keep the TOPS legacy, I kept the same menu, I kept the same staff,” he said.

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“TOPS was (going to) close in April 2024. I just kept it on ICU. It’s time for me to remove the ventilator.”

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Since announcing the restaurant’s closure a couple of weeks ago, Saboo said he’s seen the highest sales yet. He wishes that business had been this brisk earlier in order to save the diner.

“Even if I would’ve seen 50 per cent of what I saw now, believe me, I would’ve continued,” he said.

Nancy Calloway, who has worked at the diner as a host for more than 20 years, said the closure is overwhelming because the restaurant is a part of her family.

“My mother cooked pies here a long time. She has since passed on but they put it on the menu: Evelyn’s pie,” she said.

Regular customers are left with fond memories not just of the coffee and pancakes but also of the time spent here.

“I’ll miss sitting in this booth and looking out the window and watching the world go by. I’ve spent many Saturday mornings here doing that,” said longtime customer John McNiven.

“If I could have one of these booths to take home, I would love to have a booth from TOPS in my kitchen that I could sit at on a Saturday morning.”

Saboo said he’s found a new tenant and a different restaurant is set to open up in the spot.