The right time to say goodbye

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This article was published 17/09/2018 (2766 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

After 20 years in business, Muddy Waters Eatery is closing its doors at the end of September.

The Forks is one of the favourite stops during Winnipeg summers, and Muddy Waters was always packed, but every good owner knows when it’s time to move on, owner and president of WOW Hospitality Concepts Doug Stephen said.

Muddy Waters opened in 1998 after Stephen spent time in Alabama. There he got to experience restaurants serving authentic barbecue accompanied  by different sauces that enriched the meat’s flavour. When he came back to Winnipeg, he saw a niche and opened Muddy Waters, serving Memphis-style ribs, pork shoulder from the Carolinas and brisket from Texas, cornbread and catfish, accompanied by blues bands. Over the years, Muddy Waters changed its concept a little bit, serving more North American comfort food.

The name of the restaurant comes from Winnipeg — the Cree word means muddy water — and as a tribute to famous blues singer Muddy Waters.

Stephen explained The Forks, that is the landlord of the restaurant’s building, is moving in a different direction and has other plans for the space. 

“We’ve got a lot of people reaching out and saying they’re sorry to hear Muddy Waters is going, but it’s going in the right way. No one came and slammed the door in our face. We made the decision,” he said.

“We’ve been here for 20 years, and we’ve got a good run. How often do restaurants last for 20 years? Not a lot. We are pretty happy we had this run, and I think it’s time for something else to happen in this space.”

Stephen, who lives in Scotia Heights, comes from a family of doctors from Dauphin. In the ‘70s he came to university in Winnipeg and worked as a waiter at the Old Spaghetti Factory in the Exchange District. He fell in love with the hospitality business. 

“I love looking after people, and it’s not in a life-threatening way like saving someone’s life, but it’s in life-fulfilling way. If you come in and you dine here, and you have a good time, I have done my job, and you have a smile on your face, and I fulfilled something for you,” he said.

But nothing comes without its challenges. Stephen said there was a great disparity between how busy they are in the summertime and how things slow down in the winter.

“In our lease, we have to be open every day. That being said, we’ve been doing no business in January and February, so we lose a lot of money. We try to make it up in the summertime. If we have a good summer, we do OK, if there wasn’t a good summer, we would just be break even at best.

“It’s a tough place because it’s not in the Johnston Terminal, it’s not in the Market, it’s standing out here on its own. So when it’s 30 below, people just don’t walk across the plaza to get to Muddy Waters.”

Stephen and his staff at WOW Hospitality, which owns six other restaurants in Winnipeg and two in Calgary, have plenty to keep them busy. They are exploring a concept with fried chicken and burgers and will soon be looking for a spot in Winnipeg.

“I’m so thankful for the citizens of Winnipeg…it’s going to be sad to leave The Forks, but it’s not the last that you’ll see of WOW (Hospitality) in the various restaurants,” Stephen said.

For the remainder of September, Muddy Waters will continue to serve comfort food favourites. On Sept. 22 and 23, they will host Downlow Chicken Shack pop-up restaurant, the first Nashville hot chicken in Vancouver owned by his son Doug, and Stephen invites all to enjoy the restaurant’s last few days.