Nothing says Saskatchewan summer like a fresh batch of fish and chips from Regina Beach’s Blue Bird Cafe.
Unfortunately recent water damage at the restaurant has caused some uncertainty about the cafe’s opening day.
It wasn’t a pleasant day for cafe owners Chad and Shane Czako when they recently came to check on their restaurant after having shut it down for the winter and found the water damage.
The brothers took ownership of the iconic restaurant just last year.
They said they were diligent in following all the steps for winterizing the building but snow buildup on the roof still managed to leak into the restaurant.
For the last two years, due to the pandemic, the dine-in portion of the cafe has been closed.
The brothers were aiming to open May 1st with patrons back inside but that is now up in the air with most of the damage occurring on the dining room ceiling.
“Right now we’re going to have the health inspector come in this week and pinpoint exactly what needs to be done so we can have it open for the summer for everybody,” said Co-Owner Chad Czako.
There has also been a bit of a snag with the cafe’s insurance provider leaving the brothers unsure if they might have to pay out of pocket for the repairs. They have thought about starting a GoFundMe to help cover some of the costs but they are uncertain if that’s a route they want to take.
During the pandemic, the restaurant was able to capitalize on the take out boom that was caused by the indoor dining shutdown.
The brothers said the Blue Bird did fairly well with the lowered operating costs and an already popular take out window.
The deep fryer portion of the kitchen is unaffected by the water damage so they are hopeful they can at least have the takeout window open by early May.
“The people love to sit on the stairs when they order and then we call their name up and they sit on the stairs and watch the lake or sit on the picnic table. We are planning on providing that same experience this summer,” said Czako.
As they weigh out their options the brothers are also considering a food truck.
They could park the truck on the property to ensure the locals are getting their fish and chips while the building gets back in tip top shape.
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