Commonwealth Kitchen rises from ashes

When Commonwealth Kitchen & Bar opened to patrons Friday, eight months after it was one of the first targets of an alleged serial arsonist, it felt like the light at the end of a long, dark tunnel for owner Nikola Maharajh.

“Honestly, it was surreal to see people in the room again,” he told the Free Press on Monday.

“I’ve spent so many hours inside this building with the windows covered, water damage, looking at the room in a space that was pretty painful to see, so to see the room operating again, with people having a fun time, it was a major relief, honestly.”

Commonwealth had been closed since a fire investigated as arson broke out at the property July 10. The 456 Main St. eatery held its first weekend nightlife events Friday and Saturday, and plans to be open on weekend nights leading up to its full grand opening April 8.

Jesse Wheatland is accused of 22 arson, break-in, and property-damage offences between June 11 and Nov. 18 at 11 locations, including a number of downtown restaurants, an event centre and the constituency offices of two Manitoba politicians. His next court date is March 30.

Not every business forced to close due to the spate of fires will return.

Exchange District staple restaurant Johnny G’s (at 177 McDermot Ave.) closed after a fire Aug. 20. Days later, police said it was being investigated as arson and was later one of the offences charged to Wheatland.

Owner John Giannakis, who has run the business since 1996, said Monday that Johnny G’s will not reopen.

“We’re retired,” Giannakis said, but declined to comment further.

At Boujee Restaurant & Bar, which went up in flames Oct. 23, co-owner Amit Saini said debris is still being cleaned out and there’s no timeline for when it may reopen.

“It is very, very bad inside,” Saini said.

In some ways, it’s exciting for Maharajh to be back in business. His concerns the eight-month closure would impact turn-out appear to be unfounded — Commonwealth hit capacity both Friday and Saturday night, and staff have already booked reservations for Christmas parties.

About 80 per cent of staff prior to the fire will return for its full opening, and visitors can expect new cocktails and menu items, he said.

However, he called the fact that the fires caused so much damage to other businesses in the community “heartbreaking.”

“Every business was complementing each other, and the more businesses that got added in the area, it made it better for everybody,” he said.

“A lot of people who kind of look at it from the outside think it’s good to have less competition, but it actually hurts everybody.”

In the midst of repairs, which included replacing flooring, the ceiling and the building’s electrical system, Maharajh’s insurance company sent him a letter essentially saying it would no longer be covering the building and he had to find a new insurance provider to be able to open.

He believes concerns of increasing crime in the downtown Winnipeg area were behind his former insurance company’s decision.

“I can’t imagine it being a desirable area for them to insure. And then we see our insurance rates go up, and then it becomes harder for businesses to open in general, too,” he said.

Manitoba Restaurant & Foodservices Association CEO Shaun Jeffrey said rapidly increasing insurance costs have been a growing problem for restaurateurs, and businesses have seen their providers “pulling out of the insurance game for the restaurant industry and the hospitality industry.”

With the provincial government set to release its 2026 budget today, Jeffrey said he and many others in the industry will be watching closely for any investment in business.

While some provincial initiatives such as the Manitoba Security Rebate Program, launched in December to cover some costs for crime-related repairs or expenses for businesses, have been “necessary,” Jeffrey said the industry is waiting on efforts that grow Manitoba’s economy.

“(The rebate is) to alleviate a situation of increased crime in Manitoba, that’s not a business growth situation,” he said. “We’re just looking for them to really kind of live up to their election promises, and to have that horse drive the economic cart.”

malak.abas@freepress.mb.ca