Café 360 recharges Manitoba Hydro Place

Bagelsmith’s latest venture takes the form of pizza with a side of downtown revitalization.

For years, a ground-floor corner of Manitoba Hydro Place — facing Portage Avenue and, across the road, Portage Place — has sat vacant.

That changed in August. Four eateries moved in, collectively filling a new food hall called Café 360.

Bagelsmith owner Phil Klein claimed two spots: one for his popular bagel joint, and another for Super Slice, a New York slice-style operation he recently launched.

“I’ve always been obsessed with pizza,” Klein said. “I cut my teeth in pizza. I worked many, many years as an adult and a teenager working in pizzerias.”

Klein had plans to move Bagelsmith into the Hydro tower before creating Super Slice. Hydro approached Bagelsmith as it sought to build its food hall, Klein said.

Marcello’s Market and Deli vacated the site during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Rather than sit empty … we decided to take a different approach,” said Peter Chura, spokesman for Manitoba Hydro. “The food hall approach allowed us to, I guess, maximize the use of the existing infrastructure.”

Hydro had 3,500 square feet to reinvent. Construction began in March to make the space suitable for multiple vendors. Hydro sought a mix of restaurants found downtown, Chura said.

Pizza was on the wish list, Klein said. He decided to take the spot — with 18-inch pies and slices to order. “(It’s) a passion project that actually came to fruition.”

All five pizzas on the menu are named after 1990s celebrities and well-known characters. The restaurant has gotten an “incredible” response so far, Klein said — it’s exceeding Bagelsmith’s popularity in Hydro Place.

Klein launched his Montreal-style bagel shop in 2020. He opened on Carlton Street — about 300 metres from Hydro Place — and kept the lease until last November, when he agreed to move to Café 360.

Carlton once housed Bagelsmith’s production kitchen, but it became too small. Klein moved operations to a space nearly double the size on Taylor Avenue. Now, his company produces between 8,000 and 10,000 bagels per week.

The goods travel to roughly 40 wholesalers, including Sobeys and Superstore. Some stay at 1130 Taylor Ave., and some land in Manitoba Hydro Place.

“It’s good to see something in here,” said Kelly Hunter, who opted for a mushroom-covered Betty White pizza slice in Café 360 on Friday.

“It does feel a little bit more vibrant, to see a few more places that are not closed.”

Hunter works downtown. He’s watched the number of food options decline.

The Downtown Winnipeg Business Improvement Zone tracked more business closures than openings during the first half of 2025. In the third quarter, the district saw a trend reversal: a net gain of four.

Overall, two more businesses have closed than opened in 2025, a third-quarter report by the BIZ reads. It’s a “notable improvement” from the net loss of nine during the same time frame last year, the document states.

Winnipeg’s core struggled with retaining businesses following the COVID-19 pandemic. Portage Place mall renovations have bumped up the closure count.

Greenish (an Asian fusion eatery) and Colosimo Coffee Roasters have also moved into Manitoba Hydro Place’s new food hall.

Greenish drew Hydro workers at its former location in a nearby skywalk.

Café 360 feels safer, said co-owner Yunggi Yoon.

“I like the open space here,” Yoon added.

Manitoba Hydro Place feels more secure than on Carlton, Klein said, noting the site’s security guards.

“I’ve never really felt unsafe downtown,” he said. “When it’s Monday to Friday business hours, it’s just about all your … people working downtown.”

Yoon serves customers beyond Hydro’s walls; neighbouring office workers drop in. The hall holds 60 seats.

A majority of Manitoba Hydro office staff abide by a hybrid schedule. Sales drop on days its 1,800 to 1,900 employees can work remotely, Klein said.

Café 360 is open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.

gabrielle.piche@winnipegfreepress.com