A restaurant that’s on track

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This article was published 31/08/2018 (2771 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Patrons at Lita’s Station Restaurant often get sore necks — not from their food or the seating, but from staring upwards to watch two model trains run around tracks near the ceiling.

Trains and food might not seem like a natural combination, but owners Lita and Norman Winter are making it work. The restaurant, located at 904 Saskatchewan Ave. E in Portage la Prairie, offers breakfast and lunch specials that reflect the overall railway theme. There’s the Station Special and Lita’s Station burger, as well as the usual breakfast and lunch staples.

Regular customers know that Lita spends time in the kitchen baking desserts like butter tarts and matrimonial square. These items are offered on the menu, with extra sold from a small table next to the cash desk.

“Some people just come in to buy the baking,” Norman said. “They’re disappointed if there’s nothing left.”

The Winters took over the restaurant seven years ago. Norman said it was a leap of faith as they hadn’t had previous experience in the restaurant business.

They live nearby and were familiar with the restaurant. Lita was then working at a seniors care centre and Norman had previously run midway attractions. His experience includes building small trains that operate as people-movers to carry passengers over relatively short distances in parking lots at theme parks and large businesses.

“I’ve built them for customers in New York, California and China.”

He doesn’t have any formal railway training, but credits a nephew with getting him started on building small trains. “I had a two-year-old nephew and he liked trains,” Norman said.

He grew up on a farm and said he picked up welding and machinery skills along the way. “I’m still learning,” he said.

He started with a train that pulled a few cars and ran it in an empty lot in his neighbourhood, offering rides for kids.

“We were stopping traffic on both sides of the street.” Norman said, “And that train got longer and longer.”

He sold his original train then built more to take to fairs and rodeos throughout the province. This enterprise ended up with him operating large amusement attractions.

The theme for Lita’s Station gradually took shape over the past three years partly thanks to donations of railway memorabilia.

“The customers have really helped,” Norman said. “We’ve had a lot of donations.”

His inventive side is evident in the restaurant’s walls that are painted to resemble train sections, the booths that have been designed to look like passengers cars, the table top that’s covered in a tile mosaic that looks like a train wheel, and the train-themed picture that he made out of soft drink cans, among other unique items. Two model trains move back and forth along tracks near the ceiling and another runs inside a glass-topped table that’s a favourite with families.

Norman has become hooked on collecting as well and a back area contains an elaborate model village with an amusement park, miniature villagers and a tiny working train. Another glass-covered table contains a railway company’s dishes, utensils and even printed waxed paper wrappers that were once used to wrap food orders for train passengers.

He will be taking some of his collection to a train show at Red River Exhibition Park on Sept. 29 and 30.

Lita might not share her husband’s enthusiasm for trains or his knack for invention, but she enjoys the satisfaction that comes from having happy customers.

Lita’s Station Restaurant is the first restaurant in Portage that drivers entering from the east side will find. Norman said their customers come from all over Canada and the U.S., but they rely on their local regulars as well.

The restaurant is open Monday to Friday from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. and from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.