It’s sort of like a truck driven by a friend ran into a car driven by another friend. Not personal friends. I don’t think I ever met Jeremy Robbins, the owner of the Carden Street Café, but he fed me lots of times.
It was always good. The Thai-inspired orange chicken curry never disappointed, but the West African lamb curry usually won an internal debate about what to order. Put a plate of chicken satay in front of Lynne and she’ll be your friend forever.
The restaurant – car in this little comparison – was 35 years old. The city – the truck – is 185. It’s been in the shop a lot lately. Robbins claims it collided with him just as it was coming out from a major overhaul. He says he is a casualty of the lengthy construction project at city hall. Businesses up and down the street were hit hard over the past few years. There’s no doubt about that. But was it the fatal blow? Like many collisions, there were several contributing causes.
It doesn’t make sense that construction would be the sole cause. If it was, why wait until it is all but over? Why tough it out for all those years, only to close up when the street is getting back to life again, regaining the vitality that has always made it a prime retail area? We ate there many times over the past few years. Every winter we get the Borealis Series at the River Run. Five concerts, with supper. Carden Street was always busy. We always had to reserve a table. The customer base was as loyal as any owner could want. The place was packed all last weekend right up until the doors were locked for the last time.
Some staff members were willing, eager even, to buy the business and keep it running. They considered it back in 2007, but an assortment of personal reasons worked against the purchase. Robbins bought it. He was working there at the time. A similar sale now would have solved two problems. It would have kept the business running, and it would have relieved at least some of Robbins’ stresses.
Another factor was more compelling than the construction and any offers to purchase. The building owner, Milan Lesic, wanted a five-year lease. Robbins wanted shorter. Rather than spend time debating the matter, the landlord signed with someone else who will open a different restaurant in the same location. Lesic didn’t get where he is by being the first to blink in a standoff over leases. There are shopkeepers all over downtown who know this.
One thing sours the taste of the cheese cake. It’s one blemish in the legacy. They were still selling gift certificates right through the Christmas shopping period. More than one Guelph fireside stocking held one when Santa climbed back on his sleigh on Christmas morning. If they weren’t used by last Sunday, they never will be. Leading into the holiday, Robbins knew his lease wasn’t being renewed. He had already begun looking for people to buy the fixtures.
So why take money for something that would probably never be used?
Within the past month, two of my favourite eateries have closed. First Latino’s, then Carden Street. It is sad, but it’s the nature of the business. Good new restaurants will rise to fill the void. Some might live for 35 years, many won’t. I’ll miss the ones that close. I’ll welcome the new ones that open.
As far as the collision goes, don’t blame the truck driver. It wasn’t all her fault.