Business / In brief

State & Main readies second Winnipeg location

STATE & Main Kitchen + Bar is expanding its presence in Manitoba with a second Winnipeg location that will open next month.

Located near CF Polo Park at 655 Empress St., the new restaurant occupies a fully renovated standalone building designed to offer guests a sleek, inviting atmosphere, the company announced in a news release on Wednesday.

Advertising “classic cocktails and casual vibes,” State & Main offers shareables, steaks and mains, burgers and handhelds, and more. There will be food and drink specials five days a week, plus twice-daily happy hour deals and a kids’ menu.

State & Main is holding a job fair for the new location that starts today and runs through Saturday. The company anticipates hiring 80 to 110 people, said Richard Homer-Dixon, vice president and State & Main brand leader.

655 Empress St. was formerly home to Preservation Hall, a locally-owned French style restaurant that closed last year. It replaced Kelsey’s, a chain restaurant serving American fare.

The restaurant will seat 185 people, Homer-Dixon said. It joins an existing State & Main location in Kildonan Place, which opened in November 2012.

State & Main was founded in 2012 and has more than 25 locations across Canada. It’s operated by Franworks Group of Companies, which is headquartered in Calgary.

Activate launches into southeast Asia

A Winnipeg-based interactive gaming company is marking its official launch into Southeast Asia.

Activate announced on Wednesday its partnership with Kara Holdings. Under the new partnership, Activate Malaysia and Singapore — formed by Kara Holdings and Sounds Fun International — will introduce a first-of-its-kind 14,000-square-foot entertainment destination to the region, according to a news release. The first flagship venue is scheduled to open in early 2026 at Pavilion Bukit Jalil, a retail destination in Kuala Lumpur.

Future expansion is already underway, with a second location planned for mid-2026, as Kara Holdings aims to rapidly scale the concept throughout Malaysia and Singapore.

Activate first opened on Portage Avenue in 2019. It has grown to more than 60 locations across Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, the United Aram Emirates and France.

Adam Schmidt, president and co-founder of Activate, called the Southeast Asia expansion “a major milestone” for the brand.

WeMB names new CEO

JACKIE Hunt has been named the new CEO of Women’s Enterprise Centre Inc. (which operates as WeMB).

Hunt brings more than 15 years of senior leadership experience across the non-profit, public and Indigenous sectors. Her leadership roles have included serving as executive director of Volunteer Manitoba and as director of housing and property management at the Manitoba Métis Federation. Most recently, Hunt was senior director of strategy and impact at End Homelessness Winnipeg.

Hunt started her new role on Dec. 1.

“We are thrilled to welcome Jackie as the new CEO of WeMB,” Bonnie Chwartacki, chairperson of the board for WeMB, said in a news release. “Jackie brings an outstanding combination of lived experience, strategic vision and a deep commitment to advancing women and gender-diverse entrepreneurs. Her leadership, values and extensive background in non-profit management and community development make her the ideal leader to guide WeMB into its next chapter.”

WeMB is dedicated to supporting all self-identifying women in Manitoba to become successful entrepreneurs through advisory services, financing, training and community connections.

—Free Press staff