Chez Sophie Bistro is city staff’s choice to replace Salisbury House in the restaurant on the Esplanade Riel.
They’re recommending Chez Sophie, run by St. Boniface restaurateurs Stéphane and Sophie Wild, be awarded a five-year lease starting April 1 for the 4,000-square-foot building on the bridge.
The administrative report recommending the choice was to be presented to the city’s standing policy committee on downtown development, heritage and riverbank management on Monday morning.
Coun. Dan Vandal told CJOB on Thursday morning the local restaurant has a proven track record and will bring a local, French tone to the space.
“They’re incredible restaurateurs,” he said of the Wilds. “They’re willing to spend their time, their energy and their money on Esplanade Riel.”
There were three formal proposals to operate a restaurant on the bridge, a city news release said.
Chez Sophie has operated on Cathédrale Avenue in St. Boniface since August 2005. It’s a Parisian-style bistro operated by a couple who came to Winnipeg from France in July 2005.
The lease requires the owners to spend $150,000 to $200,000 on upgrades to the restaurant. In return, they will get the space free for a year, after which they will pay $2,000 a month plus the cost of utilities.
The upgrades will include renovations, furnishings, equipment, and possibly a boutique/souvenir shop showcasing local artisans, but that’s subject to financing. It will also have a 44-seat patio.
The new restaurant will run from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. except on some statutory holidays and will have bilingual menus and signs and bilingual staff in summer.
“I think this has tremendous potential,” Vandal said.
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