Edmonton restaurants feeling summertime sadness as dining activity slows
Edmonton's restaurants are seeing a slump in activity this summer following yet another long playoff run that benefitted some eateries more than others, depending on how close they were to the action.
Article content
'We honestly make all of our money during (the playoffs). It is a big benefit, not only for the company as a whole, but also for staff,' said Catherine Lesiuk, manager at Buco in Epcor Tower.
Article content
Article content
Lesiuk said the playoffs kept the restaurant busy for weeks but, in the month since, it's been slow. Some of the concerts and events that have come through helped, but didn't spur as much activity as the restaurant hoped for.
Article content
Article content
It's been more than one month since the Edmonton Oilers played in the Stanley Cup Final. Despite recently released data from May indicating strong food and beverage industry activity, local restaurants reported a slow summer for business lately.
Article content
'The Oilers had an amazing playoff run, and that's great for a very small portion of the restaurant community, but there's a very large portion of the restaurant community that isn't in the immediate downtown core and actually suffers because they're not focused around playoff hockey,' said Paul Shufelt, chef and proprietor of Woodshed Burgers and other local restaurants in the city.
Article content
Article content
Restaurateurs flagged similar concerns as the Oilers climbed higher into the playoffs, predicting a possible playoff ' hangover ' that would curb local spending after the games were finished.
Article content
Article content
'We've seen some of that for sure — that sort of hangover. If it's $2,000 to go buy a Stanley Cup Final ticket, you spent all your fun money, and don't have those dollars to be going out and having a nice dinner, celebrating a special occasion,' said Shufelt.
Article content
Apart from Woodshed, Shufelt is also behind other restaurants such as Hayloft, The Workshop and the Greenhouse, none of which are near Rogers Place. He said despite the city's talk about the economic impact of the playoffs, he found himself questioning where that money went.
Article content
'You hear these numbers (that it) brought $250 million to the community. Well, where did that money go? Because it didn't land in restaurants and bars that were not all about the Oilers.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Edmonton Journal
16 hours ago
- Edmonton Journal
Most over-rated Edmonton Oilers still plugging along elsewhere in pro hockey
They are, as a group, the most over-rated Edmonton Oilers of all-time. But they're still plugging along in pro hockey. Article content Who are they? Bottom-pairing d-men in Edmonton, players who as young pros ere held up by large and vocal factions of the Oilers fanbase as budding NHL stars, surefire Top 4 defencemen-to-be, with all the fancy statistics you'd ever want to back up the claim. Article content Article content But one after another failed to in his Oilers audition, then have struggled as well in other NHL organizations. Article content Article content This list has many similar players, mostly smaller d-men with NHL average-to-good puck-moving skills. None of them were high draft picks, but their lack of pedigree and inconsistent skill profile didn't stop many fans from adoring them, promoting them, and gnashing their teeth at the presumed incompetence of the Oilers organization when they crashed in Edmonton and eventually were traded away after a few seasons. Article content The fact that not one of them stuck as a Top 4 d-man in another NHL city suggests maybe the Oilers were right to move on, and that the faction that so believed in each player simply had it wrong. I had it wrong on a few of them, I admit. Article content Article content It's a bold statement to say these are the most over-rated Oilers of all, especially given how so many fans have fallen for high pedigree offensive players like Rob Schremp, Nail Yakupov, Magnus Paajarvi and Jesse Puljujarvi. Article content But I'll suggest there's a special intensity to the hope invested in these bottom-end d-men, one similar to the optimism of the gold prospector scratching for decades for the one big find, the ego-driven aspect that rises high inthose who hope to have that rare ability to spot a diamond-in-the-rough. Article content These d-men tended to be most beloved by fans who put a lot of weight in modern era hockey analytics and fancy stats, the team-based on-ice numbers that attempt to rank individual players. The one exception to that is big Desharnais, who was adored by the old school, Rock 'Em, Sock 'Em faction of fans. They loved the size and aggression he brought to the team. But after two playoff seasons where Desharnais struggled to move the puck, it was time for him to go, at least when he was offered a major raise by Vancouver. But the Canucks quickly moved on from Desharnais as well.
Edmonton Journal
a day ago
- Edmonton Journal
Why this Edmonton Oilers star deserves to shine on the biggest stage: 9 Things
It is the dog days of August. Article content Some people think that is a baseball term that describes that jockeying for position in the standings during the sweltering summer. In actual fact, it is a phrase dating back to Roman times and has more to do with the stars than sports. Article content Although for one Edmonton Oilers star in particular, August has turned out to be a hopeful celestial event indeed. Article content Article content 9. Barring injury, Leon Draisaitl will easily surpass a milestone that all but guarantees his spot in The Hockey Hall of Fame, if it is not already. Draisaitl is just forty-four points away from 1,000 NHL regular season games. Article content 8. I tend not to comment on player's personal lives. They share enough of themselves already. But on the occasion of Draisaitl's wedding, I did reflect on how startlingly short of a time it seems since Edmonton drafted the young man. My, how time does fly. Article content 7. Draisaitl and Connor McDavid will break another long-standing Edmonton Oilers record this season. One of them may even break in in Game One. Both men are tied with the great Glenn Anderson with seventy-two game winning goals in franchise history. Article content 6. One young Edmonton Oiler who I will have an eye on this fall will be Beau Akey. Taken 56 th overall in the 2023 draft, injuries have set back the talented blueliner. But he is finally 100%. He will not make the big club out of camp. But a full season in Bakersfield should tell the team exactly what they've got. Can he develop into a two-way, bottom-pairing D-man? Article content Article content 5. Another young guy to watch but who is not a prospect anymore is Noah Philp. The biggest season of his life is ahead of him. In a fifteen-game audition in the NHL, the right-shot center showed he could handle the defensive responsibilities at this level. But can he crack a lineup bent on a Stanley Cup? That is a different challenge. Philp is now also waiver eligible. Article content 4. The Edmonton Oilers Community Foundation is sinking $21m into its Every Kid Deserves a Shot program. It is a terrific initiative in that it helps kids in all socio-economic situations participate in a sport that is increasingly expensive. I will never forget how much time and money my own Dad gave so that I had a shot. Not all families can manage that, which is a real shame. Well done. Article content 3. Connor McDavid is more than entitled to dictate the timing of his decision on a possible extension. But while I 100% defend the player's rights in situations like that, it also opens the door to some of the wild speculation you have probably read the past few weeks, from a trade to L.A. to how his 'best days may be behind him'. You might write that in stuff August when there is nothing else to print. One assumes his agent warned him of that side-effect.
CTV News
2 days ago
- CTV News
Oilers kid's hockey initiative announces $21 million investment
Kids across Oil Country are getting a grand total of $21 million in funding by 2030 through an initiative looking to reduce barriers for kids in sports. The Edmonton Oilers Community Foundation (EOCF) announced Saturday that it's investing the money into its Every Kid Deserves a Shot initiative. A media release from the EOCF said $14.1 million of that money has been invested to date, and $7.2 million has been committed over the next five years. The announcement was made in Fan Park at Ice District during EOCF's Every Kid Deserves a Shot community day, a family-friendly day of bouncy castles, craft stations, community booths and Oilers alumni. 'This transformational investment will ensure every kid has the opportunity to reach their full potential both on and off the ice,' said EOCF executive director Myrna Khan. 'We're excited to see the positive impact this additional multi-year funding will have in shaping brighter futures for kids and families for years to come.' EOCF committed $1.5 million to the Hockey Alberta Foundation, $3 million to Free Play for Kids and another $1 million to Sport Central by 2030. KidSport will also receive $1.7 million for their Oil Country Hockey Assist Program in season four. Janna Tominuk, CEO of Sport Central, noted in the release that the Every Kid Deserves a Shot initiative has made it possible for them to distribute almost 39,000 pieces of equipment in the last nine months. 'The demand for no-cost sports equipment continues to rise, with a 74 per cent increase over the past two years,' Tominuk said. EOCF's Every Kid Deserves a Shot initiative runs several of its own programs, including Oilers Hockey School and First Shift, while also supporting others with similar goals. Tim Adams, the executive director of Free Play for Kids, said the investment ensures kids not only get access to hockey, but to care and support. 'When done well, sport is a powerful tool,' Adams said. 'It brings people together, builds community and creates stability.'
