Iconic Cape Breton restaurant Vi's shutting down, negotiating sale to province
Nova Scotia's Transportation Department is negotiating to buy an iconic Cape Breton eatery in Whycocomagh,
Vi's Restaurant, a beloved family-run restaurant in the community, is closing after more than half a century of serving up home-cooked meals and small-town hospitality to locals, tourists, sports teams and even a group of storm-stranded bus passengers who stayed all night.
Owner Beatrice MacLeod, daughter of founder Vi, has posted a notice to customers that the doors will be permanently closed April 15.
MacLeod would not comment about the restaurant's closing but confirmed it was for sale.
Former customers mourn
This week, the Transportation Department confirmed it was negotiating the purchase of the restaurant.
"Vi's is for sale and the department has put an offer in as it would help traffic flow safer for the public in that area, but it has yet to be finalized," the department said in a news release. The building would then likely be torn down as part of road improvement.
Reaction on Facebook was swift. Posts bemoaning the demise of the Cape Breton institution came from as far away as Los Angeles.
'Only in Cape Breton'
Vi's hospitality was in a class of its own as a group of bus passengers found out in December when a blizzard forced them to take shelter in the eatery.
For 23 hours, the university students, a hockey player, a salesman and four exchange students from Spain were kept fed and warm.
When it came time for the staff and owners to go home, the guests were told to help themselves to what was in the pantry if they wanted a snack.
"Only in Cape Breton would somebody leave a group of people that they didn't know in their establishment. It just floored all of us," one traveller said.
