After running for eight years, a popular brewery in Edmonton’s Ritchie neighbourhood will be shutting its doors for good.
Biera, under the same ownership as Blind Enthusiasm Brewing Company, will wind down operations by the end of December.
Owner Greg Zeschuk says changing market conditions are to blame.
“It was a sharing plate, destination restaurant. And the world has changed,” he explained.
Zeschuk says restaurant habits have shifted. Fewer people are staying out later and more customers want take-out options.
“Rather than kind of, death by a thousand cuts, we thought we’d just shut it down and someone else will reopen something new in the space,” Zeschuk said.
While the COVID-19 pandemic played a factor, he does not blame the closure of his restaurant on a public health emergency.
“The pressures are just greater and greater,” he said.
“Costs are going up. The economy’s a factor. People like being a little more judicious with their dollars.”
Advocacy group Restaurants Canada says rising interest rates are making it challenging for restaurants who are still dealing with post-pandemic debt.
“Fifty-three per cent of our members across Canada are reporting that they are losing money or breaking even,” Mark von Schellwitz, the vice-president of Restaurants Canada’s Western Canada division, told Global News.
Schellwitz adds operation costs across the country have jumped by 20 per cent. With meal prices only up by five per cent, most businesses swallow the difference. He says upcoming restauranteurs will need to cater to public wants.
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“The restaurants of the future really have got to keep an eye on their operational costs, and they have got to focus their menu items on what’s most popular,” he explained.
For people living in the area, it’s hard to say goodbye to a restaurant that woke up a once sleepy neighbourhood.
Biera was built at the same time as the Ritchie Market.
Julie King-Yerex, who has lived in Ritchie for 12 years and co-owns Magpie Books across the street from the restaurant, says it was shocking to learn of its closure.
She says Biera and the Ritchie Market were key in transforming the neighbourhood.
“The opening of the Ritchie Market in general was so important in transforming these ‘Ritchie 4 corners’ as we locals call them,” King-Yerex said. “Before Ritchie Market was there, the unit across the street was essentially a parking lot.”
King-Yerex says the businesses’ opening has attracted more businesses to open in the area.
Biera has received several awards, including being a part of Canada’s Top 100 restaurants. King-Yerex says the business’ success brings a lot of foot traffic to neighbouring businesses.
“I think people come from all over the city to visit Biera,” she said. “They’ve been pretty renowned for quality of food, the atmosphere is really lovely in there (and) they have a sweet little patio.
“Not having that restaurant to bring people to the neighbourhood is a loss.”
Zeschuk says he wanted to create a high-end, casual fine dining and beer experience.
“We wanted to make it a real jewel in Edmonton,” he explained. “Like something that people can look at and point to and think, ‘This is a beautiful space.’”
Most of the drinks that are made in Biera will not be found elsewhere.
But as the landlord of the Ritchie Market, Zeschuk says he is ready to bring a new tenant to liven the Ritchie area.
“Restaurants have to constantly evolve,” he explained. “We evolved.
“I think there’s still lots of awesome stuff in the city, and I’m optimistic.”
Zeshuk will continue to oversee operations at Blind Enthusiasm’s other location, The Monolith.
