The last days of Boon Burger in Winnipeg

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This article was published 13/01/2020 (2088 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Boon Burger is set to close its doors in less than a week, but the vegan eatery is busier than ever.

The restaurant franchise opened its doors in 2010, created by owners and spouses Thomas Sohlberg and Anneen DuPlessis, at 79 Sherbrook St. in the heart of Wolseley. Boon Burger was serving vegan burgers long before they appeared in big-name food chains, and after 10 years in operation, the restaurant will close its doors on Jan. 19.

Sohlberg said the announcement drew a lot of support from the community.

“A lot of people are quite sad that we’re closing. We’ve been getting messages, (the restaurant) has been very busy, it’s been crazy. We’re almost thinking we should do something like the Cher farewell tour; we just keep announcing that we’re closing it, and never actually close down,” Sohlberg said, laughing.

“But seriously, we’ve been getting a lot of heartfelt messages, a lot of amazing support. It’s been really nice.”

Sohlberg and DuPlessis made the announcement that they are closing on Dec. 17 on their Instagram. Sohlberg said they’re thinking about doing something special for the final day, but he isn’t ready to reveal anything yet.

Boon Burger opened its doors in 2010, just as veganism was growing from a niche market into a popular lifestyle choice. They went on to open a second location, in the Exchange District, though that closed several years ago. They partnered with Vita Health to sell some of their products, and opened a few franchise outlets in Ontario.

As time went on, and as more restaurants offered vegan products, Boon Burger struggled to turn a profit. Sohlberg said the eatery struggled against rising food costs, high demand for delivery services, and competition from larger restaurants which jumped on the trend.

Sohlberg said the restaurants in Ontario will remain open.

Now, fast food chains such as McDonald’s, A&W, and Tim Hortons serve vegan food, at a cost that independent restaurants like Boon Burger struggle to compete with.

Even though the restaurant is closing down, Sohlberg is happy that Winnipeg vegans now have options.

“For us, to see that veganism has become mainstream is super exciting. That’s always what we’ve been trying to accomplish with this. Even though people are sad that we’re closing our doors, we’re closing at a time where there’s an abundance of vegan food available,” Sohlberg said.

Sohlberg said he and DuPlessis started Boon Burger because in 2010, there were very few vegan options in the city. He said he’s worked in the restaurant industry his entire adult life; when Boon Burger first opened, the pair were cleaning tables and making burgers on their own.

For more information, visit boonburger.ca