South Osborne restaurant tours a treat

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 29/07/2019 (2287 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Many restaurants and cafés line Osborne Street.

Jane Wilson, who sits on the South Osborne BIZ marketing committee and owns and manages Pingk Hair Care on Osborne Street had an idea — that all those eateries situated close to each other would make for a pleasant restaurant tour.

The South Osborne BIZ board approved, restaurant owners were contacted and soon they were ready to go. You may have noticed the restaurant tour billboards on Osborne Street.

Setting up the tours required a lot time and effort. Osborne Florists donated floral decor for the first tour.

Karen Sigurdson, who chairs the BIZ marketing committee, was key to creating and promoting successful tours. Taylor Cyr, BIZ cleanliness and beautification worker, promoted the tours and was there during the tours to help where needed.

The graphic design for all of the promotions was done by Guppy Graphic Design.  

The first tour took place on July 10. Aaron, an actor, led a group of 10 people to the Marigold for appetizers, followed by Monticchio Ristorante Italiano, for more appetizers. Then it was off to the Oakwood Café for the main course. The restaurants try to accommodate everyone, with the Oakwood offering five different main course options, including gluten free and vegan.

“We include new innovative restaurant owners and mainstays in our tours,” said BIZ administrator Stephanie Voyce.

In between restaurant visits, Aaron spoke about the history of Elva Fletcher Park at Jubilee Avenue and Osborne Street and told the stories of the building that have been renovated and rebuilt on South Osborne’s business strip.

“There are interesting locations all the way along the restaurant tour,” Voyce said.

Chocolate Zen Bakery provided dessert while the Park Line Coffee Shop supplied tea and coffee at tables near the Fort Rouge Leisure Centre.

“It was a unique way to end the tour, a lovely evening,” Voyce said.

The  next tours run from 5:15 to 9:15 p.m. on Aug. 14 and 28 and include five restaurant stops and four interpretive stops. The $40 ticket prices reimburses the participating restaurants for their costs but does not include gratuities.

Voyce said she overheard one of the July 10 tour members saying  “That’s the best 40 bucks I’ve spent in a while.”

Dianne Doney is a community correspondent for Fort Rouge. You can contact her at diannemary@hotmail.com