Nook serves up second location with move into St. James

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This article was published 19/01/2011 (5357 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Bill Parasidis had always been looking for a reason to come back home and expand the family business.

So when the property at 3106 Portage Ave. — the former home of Schmeckers restaurant — came on the market last year, Parasidis found his reason.

“I grew up in Westwood and I’ve always had an admiration for this building,” said Parasidis, owner of The Nook and Cranny, which held its grand opening earlier this month.

“It’s a place I used to come to growing up. It was a challenge that we decided as a family to take on and we’re pulling it off.”

Gone is the old, light purple paint, grease-soaked floors and old equipment, said Parasidis, who oversaw three months of renovations to the location that inclu­ded new carpets, updated kitchen equipment, a new roof and a fresh coat of paint to the building’s interior and exterior.

Parasidis’ dream of opening up the restaurant was planted more than 20 years ago when his parents opened up their first restaurant, The Nook, in West Broadway in 1986.

Now, Parasidis has more than double the space to work with, and is able to serve up to 170 guests compared to the 80 seats at The Nook’s Sherbrook Street location.

“We’re on to something good…there are lineups out the door for hours at a time at the other location,” Parasidis said. “I don’t see any reason why we can’t reproduce that formula and make it work in St.

James where we have a good following. I think it’s a good location, and good demographic for our type of family-based restaurant.”

The proof is in the business: since opening, the restaurant has received glowing approval from the area, Parasidis said.

“We’re building up our clientele and they’re very happy to see us here,” he said. “All of our customers are now regulars.”

The business can be chalked up to Winnipeg’s economic climate creating a perfect time for local entrepreneurs looking to expand.

“It’s one of those industries where the capital costs are pretty low so its relatively easy to get into and expand,” said Rob Warren, the director of the Stu Clarke Centre for Entrepreneurism at the University of Manitoba.

“The economy of this province is still in great shape and we’re seeing that in terms of increased retail estate prices, retail sales were up for the Christmas season, vehicle sales were up…everything points to a really strong economy, which, if you’re a restauranteur, is a really good thing because it means that people are spending money outside of the house.”

Both Parasidis and Warren point to the success of the numerous long-standing restaurants in St. James as being a sign the area is on par with more hyped restaurant districts like Corydon Avenue, Osborne Village and West Broadway.

Parasidis, meanwhile, plans on taking the growth of his restaurant in stride.

“It’s the hardest time of the year to be opening a restaurant and we’re still smiling through some of the coldest days,” he said. “We’ll expand with the growing pains. It’s a huge step from where we were and it’s just opening the doors for the future.”

matt.preprost@canstarnews.com