Jul. 21, 2026 "String of restaurant closures in downtown Edmonton has business owners talking about challenges": Today I found this article by on CBC:
Greta Bar YEG has recently joined a number of other downtown Edmonton restaurants that have announced they are closing their doors this year.
“No single decision brought us here,” Chris DeCock, president of the Greta chain of arcade bars, said in a public statement issued Monday.
“It wasn’t one tax increase.
It wasn’t patio fees.
It wasn’t paid parking.
It wasn’t hybrid work.
It wasn’t safety.
It wasn’t one construction project.
It was death by a thousand cuts.”
Other restaurants in the heart of Edmonton that have closed this year alone include
kb&co (the chain still has other locations open),
Khazana,
Bündok,
Kommune
and PlayWright.
News of the closures has reverberated through Edmonton’s business community
and some business owners have called on city council to offer more support to restaurants that have to navigate challenges on multiple fronts such as
debt,
increasing rent,
concerns around social disorder and ongoing construction.
“Restaurants …. our profit margin is very thin,” Maya Richmond, owner of the Padmanadi restaurant chain that has its flagship location in central Edmonton, said in an interview with CBC News.
The family-run plant-based chain has two locations in Edmonton and a third location in Calgary.
“Anything that disrupts the ecosystem …
you're either breaking even
or you're just not gonna make it,”
Richmond said.
When asked about concerns being raised by Edmonton business owners, Mayor Andrew Knack told CBC News that work has been ongoing on multiple fronts to address concerns such as expediting phased construction on the Valley Line West LRT project.
“The intersection at 104th Street and 102nd Avenue,
they did some targeted work around that,”
he said.
“That opened two weeks ahead of schedule,
even with all of the rain, because we know the impact that construction can have.
“We hear a lot about safety and security.
As of July 2, we've added 30 new transit peace officers that are working on our transit system. That includes a lot of the downtown LRT stations.”
Ward O-day'min Coun. Anne Stevenson represents downtown constituents and said she is disappointed to hear of the closures in the core. She said she believes there are compounding reasons that have contributed to the shuttering of eateries.
“A lot of restaurants, in particular, took out loans during the COVID era to help stay afloat during those really challenging times,”
she told CBC News, as she spoke broadly about restaurants in general.
“Those debts are now coming due.”
Stevenson also spoke about the impact that general concerns around affordability have had.
“We know that the cost of groceries has increased quite considerably,” she said.
“We know that people are drinking less alcohol, which has often been an important part of businesses' revenue.”
In a statement to CBC News, a City of Edmonton spokesperson said the city has provided millions of dollars to businesses and organizations to support and encourage private investments in downtown
businesses,
buildings
and events
to increase economic activity.
Spokesperson Mary-Ann Thurber said this includes the Downtown Action Plan Fund,
which will invest $3 million in 2026 into community-led projects that increase interest in the downtown,
as well as the Downtown Vibrancy Fund,
which provided over $14 million to 126 projects to support vibrancy efforts between 2022 and 2024.
“I’ve seen this city overcome enormous challenges before,” DeCock said in his statement.
“But recovery won’t happen through hope alone.
“It will require
leadership,
accountability,
restoring access,
bringing people back downtown
and rebuilding confidence among the people willing to risk their own capital.”
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/edmonton-downtown-restaurant-closures-business-9.7278728
Sept. 21, 2026 "6 restaurants around Edmonton that are closed or closing soon": Today I found this article by Alyssa Gallardo on Dished and Daily Hive.com:
Edmonton has been seeing quite a few restaurant closures in the past few weeks, ranging from neighbourhood favourites to tea shop chains shutting their doors.
The number of restaurants that have closed this year in Edmonton continues to grow, and we couldn’t be sadder to see them go. We’ve rounded up some of the recent restaurant closures in Edmonton, including restaurants and dining spots that have closed and ones closing soon, all to keep you up to date on what’s going on in Edmonton’s culinary scene.
Closed
BeaverTails
BeaverTails opened on Whyte Avenue in April 2024 after a number of delays, but this summer, the shop quietly closed its doors. In its place, Bannock Broz, an Indigenous fast-food restaurant, is expected to open up shop soon.
Address: 10534 82nd Ave. NW, Edmonton
Little DON’YA
Little DON’YA, DON’YA Ukrainian Kitchen’s downtown Edmonton location, closed its doors on Friday, Sept. 11.
“While we really wanted a central location, the reality is Edmonton’s downtown has changed, and as a responsible business, we recognize that we cannot compete with the ongoing construction, crime, and parking challenges in Edmonton’s downtown area,” reads a message from the kitchen’s team on Instagram.
Address: 10405 Jasper Ave., Edmonton
The Moth Cafe
Early this year, The Moth Cafe had initially put out a statement about how it would be closing its doors at the end of November after nine years of business.
This August, the team posted another update sharing that it would officially be closing on Sept. 13, 2026, due to the roof being “beyond compromised.”
Address: 9449 Jasper Ave., Edmonton
Nuttea
If you haven’t already heard of the brand, Nuttea has helped develop nut-related diets and introduced the public to Nut Mylk, a milk made fresh daily with real nuts and natural ingredients only, since 2007.
On Monday, Sept. 14, it announced it’d be officially closing the doors to its Edmonton location on Sept. 20, ending its journey with over four years of business in the city.
Address: 8204 Gateway Blvd. NW, Edmonton
Closing soon
The Lunchbox
The Lunchbox has been an Edmonton deli and sandwich shop serving the community for the past three years. On Thursday, Sept. 17, the business released a statement online announcing its upcoming closure along with some clarity on the situation.
The Lunchbox will be officially closing at the end of September. Though the team teased that this may not be the last time we see this sandwich shop, nothing is confirmed.
Address: 9707 110th St. NW, Edmonton
Little Bon Bon Ice Cream
Created by the Wong family (also the creators of Yelo’d) in 2024, Little Bon Bon Ice Cream has brought vibrancy to the Chinatown district for over two years. Recently, though, the family-owned ice cream shop made a statement telling the community that it’d be closing its doors permanently.
In the announcement post, the Wongs stated that the shop itself will stay open until the end of September, but it may close sooner if all the ice cream is sold out.
Address: 9660 106th Ave. NW, Edmonton
https://dailyhive.com/edmonton/edmonton-restaurant-closures-sept-2026#google_vignette
My opinion: I have heard of every restaurant except Nuttea.
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