Winnipeg Free Press – PRINT EDITION

“Winnipeg’s favourite clubhouse sandwich is on the endangered species list and could become extinct early in the new year.

The Wagon Wheel Lunch restaurant has operated out of the Norlyn Building since 1958, but it has to move out by March. That’s when the Hargrave Street structure will meet with the wrecking ball as part of the downtown Winnipeg SHED (sports hospitality and entertainment district) plans.

The extensive revitalization blueprints include the construction of a new hotel, a parkade, new office and retail space and a central meeting place over the next few years. There is no firm cost estimate on the massive project, but insiders say it will run well into the “hundreds of millions” of dollars.

Franny Gomez, who took over the Winnipeg culinary institution last year after the death of longtime owner Louis Mathez, said she’s unsure whether she can afford to keep it running.

“I’m still undecided. Do I continue or do I just quit? I know (potential sites) out there are expensive. It’s very hard to afford to move (the restaurant) somewhere else. I’ve been shopping around but I haven’t found anything yet,” she said.

“It’s a possibility that we could shut down.”

Ross McGowan, president and CEO of CentreVenture, the downtown Winnipeg development agency, said he’s working to make sure that doesn’t happen. He said the Wagon Wheel is the only tenant in the Norlyn Building he’s worried about because of its longevity and place in the city’s restaurant history.”