Hotel Fort Garry toasts new patio

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This article was published 01/07/2021 (1537 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

In just eight weeks, the Fort Garry Hotel transformed a plot of landscaped outdoor space into an income opportunity.

Motivated to adapt to the pandemic, the hotel opened its first patio, the Sunset Terrace and Bar, Wednesday afternoon, to attract Winnipeggers back downtown.

Hours before opening night, Ida Albo, the hotel’s managing partner, sat in the shade of glittering white umbrellas as she oversaw the finishing touches on the new patio.

“We made it as beautiful as we could, but Fort Garry is a beautiful building so it required a setting like this,” she said.

A treed area near the side of the historic building has been converted into a bright, sunny terrace. As a blue sky and unrelenting sun washed over downtown, white umbrellas and tents kept the white cloth chairs and wooden tables out of the heat; sprawling planters adorned with bright flowers line hemmed the terrace in to shelter guests from the traffic on Broadway.

The 96-seat patio will be allowed to open at 50 per cent capacity; it was fully booked on opening night, Albo said, welcoming back a much-needed stream of revenue after the hotel was forced to shutter its elegant dining and spa options for the better part of 17 months.

“It’s been just horrendous,” Albo said. “For a business to pivot it takes courage and it takes capital to stay standing, but I really feel for a lot of the staff in the industry that have really, really felt it.”

The city’s temporary patio options presented an opportunity for Albo and her team to pivot quickly.

“Having new outdoor space downtown where people can safely connect is key to bringing life back to the neighbourhood this summer and gives businesses a fighting chance,” said Pamela Hardman, marketing director at Winnipeg’s Downtown Biz, in a statement Wednesday. “I’m thrilled the Sunset Terrace at the historic Fort Garry Hotel is giving Winnipeggers a chance to dine outside and enjoy the scenery along Broadway.”

Along with the return of patrons, Albo said she is bringing back as many former staff members as possible to run the patio, adding that everyone who has been hired is excited to be back at work.

Sommelier Chris Sprague and lead chef Joseph Wojakowski are two of them. They’ve been busy preparing a French brasserie and wine menu complete with vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options.

For the first two weeks, the Sunset Terrace and Bar will operate on reduced hours, from Wednesday to Sunday the first week and Thursday to Sunday the following week. After staff get a chance to shake off the rust, Albo said the patio will open seven days a week, serving its staple breakfast from 9 a.m. to noon and dinner from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Above all, Albo said she’s hopeful the new space will give the city a chance to come together once again — be it for work cocktails, friendly wine nights, or family functions.

“I’m just excited about welcoming people back to the hotel. I’m excited that we can start dining outside again, and eventually inside, and for people to continue having all the celebrations that they wanted — not just in our hotel, but all over the city,” Albo said. “There are so many celebrations and losses that happened that you couldn’t mourn or celebrate, and to be able to bring that back is exciting.”

julia-simone.rutgers@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @jsrutgers