Juniper restaurant owners blame rising rent for closure
The owners of Juniper Kitchen and Wine Bar blame rising rent costs for the imminent closure of the 17-year-old restaurant in Westboro.
A fixture of Ottawa’s restaurant scene over the past 17 years, Juniper ownership said it was no longer profitable inside a former car showroom on Richmond Road.
The restaurant moved from its old location on Wellington Street, just down the street from its last location.
This larger location cost more and in the end was not sustainable, according to a one-page message posted on the restaurant’s door and a message posted to Facebook.
"The realities of running an independent fine dining restaurant are more challenging today than ever before. This is especially the case in neighbourhoods like Westboro where real estate costs have risen dramatically in recent years," the Facebook post read.
"No matter how we looked at it, it was simply no longer viable for us to keep operating at the same standard of quality and remain profitable."
Closing 'tragic,' co-owner says
Peter Robblee, the restaurant’s co-owner, characterized the closing as "tragic" in the post, but refused an interview request.
Other restaurant owners in the area echoed Robblee’s comment about rent, including Jennifer Wall. She is the co-owner of nearby Supply and Demand.
"Ottawa has really high rent for commercial spaces, even higher than places like Montreal and Toronto," she said.
"That’s difficult and it’s right across the board. We hear it from many business owners."
The Wellington West Business Improvement Area has heard similar concerns from its neighbourhood restaurants. Hydro rates, property taxes and rent are also high, according to Zachary Dayler, the BIA’s executive director.
Dayler said he believes restaurants need to stick to small spaces, unlike Juniper, to stay profitable. He did admit the costs are higher in trendy areas like Wellington West and Westboro.
"It's a double-edged sword because you want a thriving, exciting business area, but that does cost business owners," he said.
The restaurant scene in Ottawa has changed a lot recently. That is the focus of a four-part series from the CBC’s Sandra Abma, part one looking at the area’s tight-knit chef community.
