More Winnipeg restaurants have decided to close their doors permanently.
Stella’s in Osborne Village and Hermanos in the Exchange District both say they will be shutting down for good. And while both restaurants say the coronavirus pandemic played a factor, they also say other issues have forced their hand.
Stella’s, which had been in Osborne for 20 years, said the area isn’t as vibrant as it once was.
“Unfortunately due to the declining commerce and foot traffic in Osborne Village along with the current pandemic, it is time to make this difficult announcement,” the restaurant’s Instagram page said.
The Osborne location employs 13 staff and they will be given preferential consideration for employment at other locations. This location was the first Stella’s to open in Winnipeg.
Click here to viewMeanwhile, Hermanos says they will close permanently at the end of May.
“Hermanos was designed and intended to bring people together, to bring them closer, and to create memories as friends, families, and couples, ” co-owner Noel Bernier said on his Facebook page.
“We simply do not know how to make that same feeling happen in an environment of social distancing.”
Bernier said the Bannatyne Avenue restaurant, which had been open for 12 years, was also hurt by the construction and redevelopment of streets in the Exchange District area.
Bernier says he and co-founder Najara Barros plan on launching a PPE company to help meet the needs of the business community as well as a dedicated division to help Indigenous communities.