BDI preps new Main Street location Original menu on offer, ‘infrastructure in place’ to add hard ice cream By: Gabrielle Piché Posted: 5:18 PM CDT Thursday, Mar. 28, 2024

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This article was published 28/03/2024 (554 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Bridge Drive-In has a ‘Goog’ surprise for northern Winnipeg: a new location.

BDI aims to open its second ice cream shop before the May long weekend at the corner of Main Street and Jefferson Avenue.

“We’re extremely excited,” said owner Justin Jacob. “We’re really looking to develop that into another long-term ice cream destination.”

The new site will differ slightly from the 67-year-old Winnipeg institution’s Jubilee Avenue eatery. Indoor seating, ice cream cakes and hard ice cream are on the agenda.

The roughly 1,500 square-foot Main Street hub might allow for four to five countertop tables and the ability to stay open “a bit later in the season,” Jacob said Thursday.

On Jubilee, BDI serves ice cream through Manitoba’s warmer months.

The new space’s kitchen is larger. Eventually, BDI could produce pre-made items such as ice cream cakes and cupcakes, Jacob said.

He also wants to introduce homemade seasonal ice cream flavours. The BDI team has worked alongside the University of Manitoba to develop a hard ice cream recipe, he added.

BDI had previously partnered with the Winnipeg post-secondary institution to create a dairy-free frozen dessert replicating vanilla soft-serve, made with lupin legumes. The new location could see BDI offering a hard ice cream version of the lupin treat.

“There’s infrastructure in place to add at least five or six flavours of hard ice cream,” Jacob said of the Main Street site. “We definitely want to be taking advantage of that.”

He believes hard ice cream will start being offered at the northern location; if all goes well, some product will be transported for sale at Jubilee.

Otherwise, BDI No. 2 will carry the same menu as the original. The current site will not be changed by the new addition, Jacob said.

“It’ll be great to capture a whole new demographic.”

BDI had searched for a second location for some time, ownership said. It opened a spot in Kildonan Place in 2018, but opted not to renew the lease amid COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.

Everything had been going well pre-pandemic, Jacob noted, however, it just “didn’t make sense” to keep the location as lockdown rules persisted.

Jacob knows the Main Street building owners; he connected with them earlier this year and signed the lease.

“The combination with George’s creates a great burger, fries and ice cream destination.”–Justin Jacob

There’s a big parking lot — a real plus, he said. The shop is also next-door neighbours with an Original George’s Burgers & Subs location.

“The combination with George’s creates a great burger, fries and ice cream destination,” Jacob said. “We’re excited to work with them.”

BDI hasn’t yet advertised job positions for the new location. It’s on the horizon, as are open roles for Jubilee, Jacob said.

He expects to hire five or six staff for the Main Street site. At its peak, Jubilee’s BDI employs up to 25 people. It currently has roughly 12 staff.

Shaun Jeffrey, executive director of the Manitoba Restaurant & Foodservices Association, called the news “awesome.”

“We’ve gone through so many years of losing restaurants and places closing,” Jeffrey said. “It’s refreshing to… see a local staple like that really investing in Winnipeg.”

Eateries continue to close amid a harsh economy — higher operating costs, people cutting back on non-essential spending, Jeffrey noted.

“We’re super excited to see growth in any aspect. When things like this happen, it gives other restaurateurs hope that there’s a possibility.”

The BDI opening is “a great win” for the area, Jeffrey added.

The Main Street location still needs minor renovations, including paint and new signage.

Meantime, Jacob said he is still weighing plans for BDI’s ice cream truck, which has set up in Kenora, Ont., the past two summers. The truck will be around for local events, including school appearances, he said.

BDI’s Jubilee location opened for the season March 23.

gabrielle.piche@winnipegfreepress.com