Boston Pizza Closes Downtown Edmonton, High Costs Blamed

0:00It's April 1st. From your city to your ears, this is Canada News Today, powered by AI. A Boston pizza spot right on Jasper Avenue in downtown Edmonton is shedding his doors this week after years in business. It's prime real estate blocks from colleges, the main LRT line, and office towers in a city of over 1.2 million people. Folks showed up for a busy final lunch rush, hugging it out before the last goodbye. Management didn't comment and neither did the chain's headquarters. Nearby, the Rocky Mountain Icehouse owner says daytime lunches are picking up slow, but evening stay flat since the downtown crowd hasn't bounced. Back fully. Business there is still down 30% from pre-COVID levels. Owners like him are getting hit hard by costs. Property taxes jumped around 80% this year, adding $2,000 extra each month. Patio fees are spiking too, $6,900 for a big year round one on public space, or $3,700 for seasonal. The Downtown Business Association calls it disappointing

1:02with margins already so tight. Traffic's shifting north to ice district, where spots near Rogers Place thrive on events and oilers gains, pulling lunch crowds and afterward drinks. Chains face tough local competition, plus there's a newer Boston pizza thriving just blocks away. Downtown leaders say they need more residents living there for evening vibe. New student housing and projects are coming, but incentives for builders. Could spark their real energy further down Jasper Avenue.