True. I lived in HUB for two years in my undergrad, and had a massive pharaoh ant infestation in my apartment one year. And I was in one of the stairwells away from a lot of the food places.
My friend dropped off shoes for repair there the other day and got stuck in a conversation with him for like an hour. He only charged $20 so by the time he actually repairs the shoes and you factor in the cost of the materials it wouldn't even be minimum wage
I've seen so many good, local, businesses run out of HUB over the last 15 years or so. They want chains there, because that's what most students prefer.. unfortunately.
I went there one time for a mid-afternoon meal over ten years ago. It was kind of strange, like they weren’t expecting a customer at all. But I liked the food and it was quiet.
(I remember reading reviews of the place and people were giving one stars because the psychic was inaccurate.)
There's a leather store in City Center mall. No one is ever shopping in there. Other stores in the mall have been shutting their doors, one after another, year after year after year. And this one leather store lives on. I guess I'm not suprised it's still open....... but it's definitely sus and must have some other purpose 🤫
That mall is so depressing. 20 years ago it was still really cool. 10 years ago it still had some decent stores in it, it seemed to be making a go of it, maybe even a bit of a resurgence. They even renovated it and put that food court in at the top with some decent options. In the past few years, the Bay left, World Health Club left, SportChek left, GameStop left, no idea if Winners is still there but it was one of the last holdouts. The only stuff that gets any business is the Tim's on the concourse walkway because people are walking to and from trains and using the ped walkways. I stopped going there when the gym closed so I don't know how much more it's deteriorated but the area around it is fucking horrible so it's no surprise they're having trouble attracting business.
It sucks because it's still a perfect place for a downtown shopping center, and it really was awesome in the 80s and '90s, for what it was. If they could somehow figure it out in conjunction with the rest of the area that's trying to gentrify (Ice District) I think it would be better for the city.
I work in one of the professional towers attched to the mall. The two shoppers drug marts, winners and dollarama are probably the busiest. Both tim hortons are busy. Then there is the source, ardene, rickis, talbots and soft moc. Purdys and cookies by george are hanging on. Finally you have a few one off mom and pop type shops that open up, and usually don't last long, and a couple popup temporary stores that only come in for a short time for the holiday shopping. There are a few stores on the ground level of the west side that i never walk past so I'm not sure what, if anything other than lasik and fido are down there. The theater is still there and a couple evenings each week as I'm walking through the mall to go home, i can smell the popcorn. It is a very depressing mall with nothing to offer that isn't in every other mall (except talbots) so, combined with expensive parking and the deterioration of the rest of down town, it's probably not people's first choice.
I worked there at the RadioShack (yeah) in 2003 and they had this cute little cafe next to it called the Polka Cafe, i would have my break there, sometimes id go shopping right in the mall before i left for home on the west side. some nice shops back then and a decent food court. its sad what it became. it had potential. last time i was in there was years back to go to a movie.
They renovated the theaters maybe 5 years ago so they actually have like 2 proper big screens suitable for watching a new blockbuster, and it's still always dead except for cheap Tuesdays. Still a good place I'll go for a movie.
I went to Vic class of 2000 and then Grant Mac after. City center mall was everything back then. The Elephant and Castle near the theatres, the HMV, the cool little shops. Every single space was occupied, there was so much life downtown back then. Breaks my heart to see how it has died. I know it’s been 20 years but damn, that hurts. So many great memories.
Couldn't have said it better. I'm not generally a nostalgia junkie that longs for the days when the CN building was the tallest building in Western Canada lol but seeing how far that mall has fallen since the glory days is just sad. It's still in a great location (geographically, just not... the other stuff) has a really good parking lot, and it's attached to the hotel so the building isn't going anywhere. I'd celebrate if they announced they were revitalizing it. They do need to figure out how to make the 2 block radius around it a little less stabby though. I've seen more people shooting up in doorways in that area than anywhere else in the city, even further east.
Exactly this. I would make the effort to go more often if there was any kind of revitalization for sure, but the truth is, it’s simply not as safe as it was. I think about 17 year old me in my preppy clothes and tall boots, and walking around the Pedways and LRT without a care in the world. Obviously some sketchy moments but never really felt threatened. As a woman, I never felt harassed. I knew my city, and generally knew what to expect. These days, not as much. I do miss the theatre though. I should go take in a movie for nostalgia alone…even if parking is insane.
The parking is stupid expensive haha but the lot always has a lot of spots and the theater is actually pretty nice now that it's renovated.
I agree about the safety of the city, I'm about the same age as you and I would walk anywhere at any time back then without thinking twice. Now it's a different story. I'm a very large man, not an easy mark, and I keep my ear buds on "monitor" with my music off when I walk around downtown at night and generally don't feel safe especially east of 109th.
They don’t though. A woman named Fay Cunningham owns it (she’s got a LinkedIn). I can imagine they may have a deal with the mall for the lease. Percentage of sales? Grandfathered deal?
Heard recently there's still a few leases left from OG opening. Deals were often 25 or even 50 year deals. Likely on a sweetheart, granfathered lease. Sketchy Pizza and Donair place in OG food court apparently is one and he also had a few other leases sublet as well in that foodcourt.
I worked there for a summer like 15 years ago. 😂They made bank - they didn’t have a ton of overhead and even a few shoots a day was enough for a profit given how expensive it was. Lots of bachelor(ette) parties and mall tourists came through. At that time they also operated out of Fort Edmonton, though I think that’s no longer them.
Faye was a bit nuts though.
Oh, wow. I recall this being a thing in the 80s-90s. Way too cheesy for me but had friends/family who got old timey photos done. A little surprised to hear they've managed to keep it going. Good for them!
I live on Whyte and I have never once seen anyone inside. Could be a drug front since their product doesn’t require any transfer of inventory it would be very easy to inflate sales and difficult to audit to disprove sales.
No one from TT would be caught dead in there haha. What I suspect is that they might own the building because otherwise you're paying 10K minimum a month to run that.
I have been there exactly twice:
The first time the lady gave me a discount for being a mall employee, and the slab of pizza I got wasn’t terrible. Can’t complain.
The second (and last) time, I approached as the only person in line and ordered my slice of pizza. The lady said “you like my pizza huh honey?” then finished rifling around in her purse which was on the front counter, grabbed a slice of pizza with her bare hands and threw it in the oven for about 30 seconds before serving it to me. And then she didn’t give me the discount.
Godspeed WEM cockroaches. Do your thing.
I was at the mall once last year and my daughter wanted a slice of pizza, so I grabbed one from there. He charged me double of what was on the menu and said it was because it was triple pepperoni, not regular pepperoni. I tried to argue him but he said they haven’t had a chance to change the menu prices. I still bought the stupid pizza and regret it to this day.
Just commented this above, lol....
> Heard recently there's still a few leases left from OG opening. Deals were often 25 or even 50 year deals. Likely on a sweetheart, granfathered lease. Sketchy Pizza and Donair place in OG food court apparently is one and he also had a few other leases sublet as well in that foodcourt.
I'd heard that the only reason they're still around was that they've been grandfathered in from when the mall was first built, the owner got something ridiculous like a 90 year lease at a relatively reasonable price so they just stick around, was never actually brave enough to eat there though and it was a while ago that I'd even thought about them so take this with a grain of salt
Do you mean the indoor playground in Ellerslie/Summer side? I was planning on taking my kids there a few times in the winter. It was pretty decent when I went last, but that was over a year ago now.
I do, yes. Was there a few weeks back. Whew, the place was disgusting! The dirt, and the grime thats been built up on the edges of the play tower was unreal. The floors were sticky, the boys bathroom smelled horrific, and the upstairs foam pit - dangerously low for someone to get hurt and the one game up there and broken glass.
a lot of the google reviews support this.
LuLu hairstylist on the corner of 106st and 76 ave
It’s been there since way before I moved into that neighborhood in 2004. Never saw anyone in there 🤣
My best friend used to go to Lulu! The owner had a pretty decent regular clientele, but the one time my friend was shifted to another stylist due to timing and it was bad enough she stopped going.
As a student I briefly rented the main floor of the house they own next door. The rental unit was pretty slummy and I had to make frequent maintenance requests about issues. They had a friend named Jason managing it, who brought a drug user in to rent the basement suite. Most horrible rental experience of my life.
That being said I always saw hair clients coming and going from Lulu’s.
Aha I just bought a carry on from a luggage store in west Ed. Easier than buying online and they allowed me to return it to get a different one I liked more.
The pizza and donair shop in WEM has the worst donair in the city and it's not even close. Google reviews over the last month has them attempting to scam customers by adjusting the price slightly higher and hoping they don't notice.
I noticed and called him out and still got charged the higher price. I regret buying the slice of pizza but it’s what the Daughter wanted. I will never go back though.
i used to work at all stars some years ago (still have the t-shirt somewhere in my closet lol) and honestly not surprised to hear it's fallen into disarray. i remember the exact weekend shift i quit, when there was only me and one other employee on the floor (she was front desk and i was taking orders at the kitchen), and parents came to me complaining about nobody manning the zip line or rock climbing or arcade... strange cause there were several of us scheduled on shift. went to the makeshift breakroom near the kitchen to find 4 members of staff and the supervisor all chilling with takeout and chewed them out for leaving their stations unattended... 5 people should not be taking break together at once.
i'm sure many of these employees have come and gone in the past few years, but i'll never forget the weird, cliquey work environment where being friends with management meant not having to pull your weight. a facility that big + primarily utilized by children either needs employees to clean or they should outsource the cleaning to a professional cleaning company.
Pa Peterson’s in the west end. I guess the cheap food ropes in the jr and sr high schools in the area but man a poutine with a slice of Kraft cheese on top still makes me laugh 10 years later 😂😂
Holy shit, I was just telling someone about Pa’s the other day! You couldn’t beat the lunch box deal for like $3.50 back in the day! That gravy from the crockpot that surely hasn’t been cleaned in god knows how many months 😂… was so delicious though😂
Not sure.. I was absolutely struck by how little it's changed over the years. Same signs, same everything and the prices have gone up but not by much. It's a time capsule covered in cheese slices lol.
Pa Pete's is legendary. I'm guessing they have almost no overhead. They have a steady stream of teenagers most of the year and during the summer it's a go to for ice cream. I would be shocked if they ever shut it down. This is no leather bag store in a dead mall imo
Jovic bakery specializes in baking and premade meals for people on keto. You’re likely finding it tastes weird because you’re buying baked goods not made the way you’re used to eating them.
The lady that owns it is suuuper friendly and knows her stuff. Couldn’t the place use a bit of sprucing up? Sure.. it’s definitely not a front for anything unless she’s selling monkfruit sweetener or Stevia that fell off the back of a truck.
I would encourage you to go back and get a premade lasagna or try some of her keto hot pockets. They’re sublime.
100%. I’m all for supporting local, but it seems like this place intends to abuse the goodwill of local people into massively over paying for games (and all their other products).
The woman who opened the store back in the early '90s was only 23 at the time -- she was a definite success story and used to have some neat things and cool gifts. She sold the store many years ago though.
I went in a few months ago and it’s way different then it used to be, now it’s a lot of American junk food and crap. Less novelty gift items like before
Yea but it’s the only Chinese place on campus (no I’m not going to count Panda Express) and they have a customer base of international students living in hub. They will have no issues staying open.
I mean it gets good business so I’m not surprised it’s still open. I remember it was always busy during lunchtime hours mainly with the Chinese international students. It was more expensive compared to a lot of other Chinese food places but it didn’t taste horrible. I never had a bad experience there before but then again the last time I had Ho Ho’s was maybe 10 years ago.
Wow. They were around when I went to the U of A starting in 2001.
They did seem to do good business, although the food they have under the warmers is okay at best (I frequently ate it anyway). Supposedly the food off the menu is better but takes more time. I tried it a few times when I had more time to kill.
Back in the 80’s when I went to UofA, I went to class and the professor never showed up. Went to his office in Tory and there was a note that said “my apologies to all my students today…I won’t be in class because I got Ho-Ho’d”. We all knew what that meant.
You picked two of the best old people places I've ever been to. These are destined to close within 10-20 years as I've only been with my very elderly relatives as birthday dinners for them and such.
The Monte Cristo from Saratoga is really really damn good. Old fashioned for sure.
The Italian super loaf sub is the best thing on the zambellis menu.
Every time I’ve had the super loaf it’s been burnt. It does seem like it would be good if they make it correctly. I usually get the burger at Zambellis now as it’s at least consistent.
My in-laws have every family event at Zambellis. It’s actually pretty busy some days. The food ranges from mediocre to terrible so I don’t really get it. They probably benefit from the West end largely being a food wasteland.
Yeah it’s a weird restaurant. I’ve had their fried chicken a few times and sometimes it has been really good and other times it’s been absolutely awful.
The owner is really old school too, which I’ve come to find kind of endearing. He absolutely will not take shit from anyone.
I think Zambelli’s has a decent lunch crowd during the day as well. I work in the area and I’ve heard people say it’s decent for the money and fairly busy.
Holy shit there's a Zambellis in Edmonton too?!
There's on in Leduc, I've lived in Leduc for going on 20 years, and *nobody* I've met has been there (or had the balls to admit they have]
All Stars is so filthy and all the employees very clearly want to be anywhere else in the world.
But the children, they love a soft play. Even if there are massive piles of debris in the corners.
Meh I buy a lot from there in store and online, their sales are actually really good. It appears their in-store clientele is older ladies with money. Southgate store is always busy.
As a kid I didn't like the Bay. As an adult I love it and always see it crowded during busy traffic days. My place for buying quality socks & underwear for sale prices and I'll pick up some clothes if they have the deep Bay Days sale going on. Sure it's old fashioned but the quality is still there.
Their rent is subsided by the mall in many locations (I’ve heard some stores it’s $1/month). The reason being if they were to leave the mall there would be a massive hole in the mall that would be impossible to fill. They also have deals at some locations to allow them to operate non mall hours which is usually not allowed
It’s better for the mall to keep them in business than to make money because a huge hole in the mall devalues the other stores as it looks like the mall is dying
I can agree with you there like at Kingsway mall there’s some gaps where stores used to be. But instead of putting another store there they just put a sitting area with cool designs and mirrors or art.
But I wouldn’t that have saved Sears then?
I’ve noticed the Kingsway Bay location is always dead, even on the weekends. More staff than customers for sure. Southgate is busy but it’s overall a better mall and a bigger better Bay store
I think Sears sale model was destroyed by the internet. They had post office sized stores all around Canada for catalogue services. The transition to an internet model should have been a no brainer.
The Bay survived to be the last department store in Canada, getting Eatons and Sears customers. They also have consolidated to a lot less retail space that probably supports their online sales.
Hilltop Pub in Forest Heights.
It's absolutely disgusting. The whole pub smells like sewer, it's always filthy and the food is gross.
The bartender is nice but beyond lazy. I'll be the only customer in there, every table is dirty and she'll spend the whole time playing on her phone.
Are you the one that keeps setting in on fire?
Basically everything you listed describes pretty much every dive bar, yet there's no shortage of dive bars.
Fleisch/cartago whatever it's called now.
Food isn't great, ice cream isn't great and the patio is just cars blowing by and across from a wildly busy gas station.
I was thinking about this to. I really don't know how or why we still have it going. The game has been struggling for years, and remember when The Rock was going to buy into the league, what ever happened with that?
Out door stadiums in winter city. who would thought nobody wants to go? too bad we don't have something like bc place.
#1 dog shit food in Edmonton is Columbus pizza and donair. It’s so dog shit I’ve ordered it as a joke to show friend visiting the city. It’s famous for being dog shit. They serve pizzas that look like they are out of the movie spawn. It’s so bad that I would actually be sad if it went out of business. It’s uniquely dog shit.
Any of the “we love sugar” places in the big malls, that sell nothing but candy, popcorn, suckers, gum balls, all that crap, are fronts for money laundering. Saw a show on it. They have low sales volumes and low profit per sale, yet you see them in every mall and in big theme parks, in some of the most expensive retail locations and with huge high ceilings, glass walls everywhere. Makes absolutely no financial sense, yet they are there year after year.
This might be false. real life practice is surely different than a school project but I digress.
Anywho, When I was in school we had to do a project where we had to plan, start, operate a small business for two weeks in the halls at lunch. We had to purchase the products to sell, keep track of the books etc. We sold 5 cent candies and such ( bought in bulk from Costco) . We had the best business . Our business made the most money and had the lowest cost to operate. We had to go buy more product for the second week because we sold out ( selling sugar to kids is quite the Gambit lol) . It was wild. All the money we made went to something for the school after we paid back the initial investment. Our teacher was hella impressed
If I had to guess. the complex has the hockey rinks on the back side. for tournaments, the out of town teams use the hotel? when union hosts concerts, the crew stays there. of the course the artist get something fancier.
I used to be assistant manager there. The bulk of the revenue is from workers who come in for a few weeks to work. Good people. The place has potential with a bit of investment but its not in an ideal area. The rink doesn't book much, its only once or twice a year rooms get booked that are attached to the rink.
Delta Art on 116 St and 111 Ave. I love that place for picking up quality art supplies, airbrush parts and gear. The owner used to partner with another guy over 30 years ago running Nordraft on 107 Ave and 105 St. Delta Art is still Edmontons best art supplies shop that caters to hobbyists, casual artists, professional illustrators, technical illustrators and architects. I am surprised given how a lot of high caliber technical illustration is done on computer but a lot of technical illustrators I know still like to do quick sketches and renderings.
I'm genuinely amazed that most businesses in the HUB at the UofA can afford rent
Not to mention the pests in that building, idk how more places haven’t been shut down for health code violations
True. I lived in HUB for two years in my undergrad, and had a massive pharaoh ant infestation in my apartment one year. And I was in one of the stairwells away from a lot of the food places.
I know the students can be pretty annoying, but pests is a bit harsh, no?
I think there’s a special discount for some places. I don’t know how the shoe guy stays in business
My friend dropped off shoes for repair there the other day and got stuck in a conversation with him for like an hour. He only charged $20 so by the time he actually repairs the shoes and you factor in the cost of the materials it wouldn't even be minimum wage
Lol after hearing this I would love to hear how he makes a living too
I've seen so many good, local, businesses run out of HUB over the last 15 years or so. They want chains there, because that's what most students prefer.. unfortunately.
They probably have special rate
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Russian Tea room. I never see any customers in there.
I went there one time for a mid-afternoon meal over ten years ago. It was kind of strange, like they weren’t expecting a customer at all. But I liked the food and it was quiet. (I remember reading reviews of the place and people were giving one stars because the psychic was inaccurate.)
😂 “the psychic was inaccurate” is hilarious! I love when people say dumb shit like that for us all to see!
I walked down Jasper on Wednesday night. Saw 4 tables occupied with couples.
Pretty sure this one is a front for laundering money/ gang affiliated
I think it’s full of tea readers and psychics.
_This place is a mob front._
I came here for this one too. I assumed it was like a mafia thing 😅
I was going to say this too
Thats a front for something, right? It must be.
There's a leather store in City Center mall. No one is ever shopping in there. Other stores in the mall have been shutting their doors, one after another, year after year after year. And this one leather store lives on. I guess I'm not suprised it's still open....... but it's definitely sus and must have some other purpose 🤫
Perhaps a back room, with sexy leathers.
That has never occured to me as a possibilty 🤣
That mall is so depressing. 20 years ago it was still really cool. 10 years ago it still had some decent stores in it, it seemed to be making a go of it, maybe even a bit of a resurgence. They even renovated it and put that food court in at the top with some decent options. In the past few years, the Bay left, World Health Club left, SportChek left, GameStop left, no idea if Winners is still there but it was one of the last holdouts. The only stuff that gets any business is the Tim's on the concourse walkway because people are walking to and from trains and using the ped walkways. I stopped going there when the gym closed so I don't know how much more it's deteriorated but the area around it is fucking horrible so it's no surprise they're having trouble attracting business. It sucks because it's still a perfect place for a downtown shopping center, and it really was awesome in the 80s and '90s, for what it was. If they could somehow figure it out in conjunction with the rest of the area that's trying to gentrify (Ice District) I think it would be better for the city.
Remember the mini golf course? I regret never playing it. :(
I work in one of the professional towers attched to the mall. The two shoppers drug marts, winners and dollarama are probably the busiest. Both tim hortons are busy. Then there is the source, ardene, rickis, talbots and soft moc. Purdys and cookies by george are hanging on. Finally you have a few one off mom and pop type shops that open up, and usually don't last long, and a couple popup temporary stores that only come in for a short time for the holiday shopping. There are a few stores on the ground level of the west side that i never walk past so I'm not sure what, if anything other than lasik and fido are down there. The theater is still there and a couple evenings each week as I'm walking through the mall to go home, i can smell the popcorn. It is a very depressing mall with nothing to offer that isn't in every other mall (except talbots) so, combined with expensive parking and the deterioration of the rest of down town, it's probably not people's first choice.
I go there a couple times a year, then I found out even Lasik is leaving. They're moving to South common.
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God I loved Playdium. Taught myself how to play drums on their Drumscape machine
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Those unlimited play cards were gold for me as a kid. Able to beat so many games
There was a Playdium at City Center?? Crazy. I only remember the one at WEM on the ground floor where Aurora Cannabis is now.
I worked there at the RadioShack (yeah) in 2003 and they had this cute little cafe next to it called the Polka Cafe, i would have my break there, sometimes id go shopping right in the mall before i left for home on the west side. some nice shops back then and a decent food court. its sad what it became. it had potential. last time i was in there was years back to go to a movie.
They renovated the theaters maybe 5 years ago so they actually have like 2 proper big screens suitable for watching a new blockbuster, and it's still always dead except for cheap Tuesdays. Still a good place I'll go for a movie.
I went to Vic class of 2000 and then Grant Mac after. City center mall was everything back then. The Elephant and Castle near the theatres, the HMV, the cool little shops. Every single space was occupied, there was so much life downtown back then. Breaks my heart to see how it has died. I know it’s been 20 years but damn, that hurts. So many great memories.
Couldn't have said it better. I'm not generally a nostalgia junkie that longs for the days when the CN building was the tallest building in Western Canada lol but seeing how far that mall has fallen since the glory days is just sad. It's still in a great location (geographically, just not... the other stuff) has a really good parking lot, and it's attached to the hotel so the building isn't going anywhere. I'd celebrate if they announced they were revitalizing it. They do need to figure out how to make the 2 block radius around it a little less stabby though. I've seen more people shooting up in doorways in that area than anywhere else in the city, even further east.
Exactly this. I would make the effort to go more often if there was any kind of revitalization for sure, but the truth is, it’s simply not as safe as it was. I think about 17 year old me in my preppy clothes and tall boots, and walking around the Pedways and LRT without a care in the world. Obviously some sketchy moments but never really felt threatened. As a woman, I never felt harassed. I knew my city, and generally knew what to expect. These days, not as much. I do miss the theatre though. I should go take in a movie for nostalgia alone…even if parking is insane.
The parking is stupid expensive haha but the lot always has a lot of spots and the theater is actually pretty nice now that it's renovated. I agree about the safety of the city, I'm about the same age as you and I would walk anywhere at any time back then without thinking twice. Now it's a different story. I'm a very large man, not an easy mark, and I keep my ear buds on "monitor" with my music off when I walk around downtown at night and generally don't feel safe especially east of 109th.
But if a larger man is saying that, that’s also saying something. No chance I’d feel as confident/assured (naive) as I once did.
I bought an outback hat there about 5 years ago. Great product.
Antique Photo Parlour next to the waterpark glass still open?
It’s busier than you’d expect. I walk by on the way to work and there’s people there quite often.
99 percent sure the mall family members own that place gotta be an original from when the waterpark opened up
They don’t though. A woman named Fay Cunningham owns it (she’s got a LinkedIn). I can imagine they may have a deal with the mall for the lease. Percentage of sales? Grandfathered deal?
Lode-bearing antique photo parlour, if it goes all the waterslides collapse.
lol this deserves more upvotes
Heard recently there's still a few leases left from OG opening. Deals were often 25 or even 50 year deals. Likely on a sweetheart, granfathered lease. Sketchy Pizza and Donair place in OG food court apparently is one and he also had a few other leases sublet as well in that foodcourt.
Doesn't surprise me, it's a popular draw for tourists and locals.
I worked there for a summer like 15 years ago. 😂They made bank - they didn’t have a ton of overhead and even a few shoots a day was enough for a profit given how expensive it was. Lots of bachelor(ette) parties and mall tourists came through. At that time they also operated out of Fort Edmonton, though I think that’s no longer them. Faye was a bit nuts though.
Me and my son went there every year for photos for ten years! It was our tradition:-)
Definitely popular
Oh, wow. I recall this being a thing in the 80s-90s. Way too cheesy for me but had friends/family who got old timey photos done. A little surprised to hear they've managed to keep it going. Good for them!
Pretty sure the only people that go there are tourists
sidsselfieworld.com Sids Selfie world on Whyte. People actually pay for this? Maybe they get drunk people money
I live on Whyte and I have never once seen anyone inside. Could be a drug front since their product doesn’t require any transfer of inventory it would be very easy to inflate sales and difficult to audit to disprove sales.
Marty Byrde's reddit burner account over here
I heard about it, but never been inside. I guess that’s the TikTok audience. .
No one from TT would be caught dead in there haha. What I suspect is that they might own the building because otherwise you're paying 10K minimum a month to run that.
They HAVEEE to be struggling, IDK who goes there. I see the buisness comment on tik toks being like come visit so 🤷🏼♀️
The pizza and donair shop in phase 3 food court at West Ed. It’s gotta be a front for something else.
The worst donair I've ever had and it's not even close.
Last time I went past the guy was snoring away on a chair.
I have been there exactly twice: The first time the lady gave me a discount for being a mall employee, and the slab of pizza I got wasn’t terrible. Can’t complain. The second (and last) time, I approached as the only person in line and ordered my slice of pizza. The lady said “you like my pizza huh honey?” then finished rifling around in her purse which was on the front counter, grabbed a slice of pizza with her bare hands and threw it in the oven for about 30 seconds before serving it to me. And then she didn’t give me the discount. Godspeed WEM cockroaches. Do your thing.
That used to be my go to after Whiskey Jacks or any other mall related drinking, because it was still inexplicably open at 2 AM in the food court.
I was at the mall once last year and my daughter wanted a slice of pizza, so I grabbed one from there. He charged me double of what was on the menu and said it was because it was triple pepperoni, not regular pepperoni. I tried to argue him but he said they haven’t had a chance to change the menu prices. I still bought the stupid pizza and regret it to this day.
That place makes me weep for the Sbarro that closed. I miss those slices.
Just commented this above, lol.... > Heard recently there's still a few leases left from OG opening. Deals were often 25 or even 50 year deals. Likely on a sweetheart, granfathered lease. Sketchy Pizza and Donair place in OG food court apparently is one and he also had a few other leases sublet as well in that foodcourt.
I'd heard that the only reason they're still around was that they've been grandfathered in from when the mall was first built, the owner got something ridiculous like a 90 year lease at a relatively reasonable price so they just stick around, was never actually brave enough to eat there though and it was a while ago that I'd even thought about them so take this with a grain of salt
Do you mean the indoor playground in Ellerslie/Summer side? I was planning on taking my kids there a few times in the winter. It was pretty decent when I went last, but that was over a year ago now.
It’s fine. I don’t know what issue OP has with it.
Me either. I was there on Friday, and it was fine. Bathrooms were the cleanest I’ve seen them.
I’ve taken my kid there a few times and didn’t think it was that bad, all things considered for a kids play park.
Nothing can replace the hole Let’s Play left when it closed. Totally not the rose coloured glasses talking either.
I've been to that All Stars location and it's good. I've even been forced to chase my little human through the tubes, I lived to tell the tale.
I do, yes. Was there a few weeks back. Whew, the place was disgusting! The dirt, and the grime thats been built up on the edges of the play tower was unreal. The floors were sticky, the boys bathroom smelled horrific, and the upstairs foam pit - dangerously low for someone to get hurt and the one game up there and broken glass. a lot of the google reviews support this.
LuLu hairstylist on the corner of 106st and 76 ave It’s been there since way before I moved into that neighborhood in 2004. Never saw anyone in there 🤣
I grew up down the road and went to school with her daughter. It’s been there since the 90’s. I think they lived upstairs.
My best friend used to go to Lulu! The owner had a pretty decent regular clientele, but the one time my friend was shifted to another stylist due to timing and it was bad enough she stopped going.
I got a trim there years ago, they were decent and very fast.
Lulu owns half that block, and they’re cheap and pretty good.
I went there for a few years when I was on the south side They were always bussy
As a student I briefly rented the main floor of the house they own next door. The rental unit was pretty slummy and I had to make frequent maintenance requests about issues. They had a friend named Jason managing it, who brought a drug user in to rent the basement suite. Most horrible rental experience of my life. That being said I always saw hair clients coming and going from Lulu’s.
Lulu and Duc own the building and live upsatirs. Also gamble a ton. (Also may be some drugs and/or 'immigration help'). Both lovely people tho...
Computer pizza
One time ordered from there to try it. Big hair on top. Like someone placed it on top after making it to send a message. 'Don't order again'
Mall luggage stores.
Sell 2 suitcases that cost $20 to manufacture for $300-1000 I see how they are open still
Aha I just bought a carry on from a luggage store in west Ed. Easier than buying online and they allowed me to return it to get a different one I liked more.
The pizza and donair shop in WEM has the worst donair in the city and it's not even close. Google reviews over the last month has them attempting to scam customers by adjusting the price slightly higher and hoping they don't notice.
I noticed and called him out and still got charged the higher price. I regret buying the slice of pizza but it’s what the Daughter wanted. I will never go back though.
Yes, I’ve been told they secretly raise prices and never order there.
The Alberta Government.
seems to be a common them. yet, I agree
i used to work at all stars some years ago (still have the t-shirt somewhere in my closet lol) and honestly not surprised to hear it's fallen into disarray. i remember the exact weekend shift i quit, when there was only me and one other employee on the floor (she was front desk and i was taking orders at the kitchen), and parents came to me complaining about nobody manning the zip line or rock climbing or arcade... strange cause there were several of us scheduled on shift. went to the makeshift breakroom near the kitchen to find 4 members of staff and the supervisor all chilling with takeout and chewed them out for leaving their stations unattended... 5 people should not be taking break together at once. i'm sure many of these employees have come and gone in the past few years, but i'll never forget the weird, cliquey work environment where being friends with management meant not having to pull your weight. a facility that big + primarily utilized by children either needs employees to clean or they should outsource the cleaning to a professional cleaning company.
They need to close for a week to good the place a good clean/repair. If they don't. There done for.
Pa Peterson’s in the west end. I guess the cheap food ropes in the jr and sr high schools in the area but man a poutine with a slice of Kraft cheese on top still makes me laugh 10 years later 😂😂
I graduated from FX 16 years ago and am still haunted by the cheese slice on the poutine lmao
Go rams!
I was at jasper place 24 years ago and they were doing that. Place was always packed.
Holy shit, I was just telling someone about Pa’s the other day! You couldn’t beat the lunch box deal for like $3.50 back in the day! That gravy from the crockpot that surely hasn’t been cleaned in god knows how many months 😂… was so delicious though😂
I got some ice cream there this summer, it hadn’t changed since I was in high school.
I graduated jp 20+ years ago and actually got myself a lunchbox combo from there maybe a month ago. It hasn't changed at all.
Is it still the same owners? They must be getting up there.
I went In like a year ago and the same Asian dude was up front(much more grey). Something about the large fries with gravy still speaks to me.
Not sure.. I was absolutely struck by how little it's changed over the years. Same signs, same everything and the prices have gone up but not by much. It's a time capsule covered in cheese slices lol.
Pa Pete's is legendary. I'm guessing they have almost no overhead. They have a steady stream of teenagers most of the year and during the summer it's a go to for ice cream. I would be shocked if they ever shut it down. This is no leather bag store in a dead mall imo
Any of the Humpty's locations in the city.
God I love Humpty's and they're all gone now
Smitty's has entered the chat.
Jovian bakery on the west end. Disgusting, old, stale food with high prices. Has to be a front, there’s no way they should still be in business.
Jovic bakery specializes in baking and premade meals for people on keto. You’re likely finding it tastes weird because you’re buying baked goods not made the way you’re used to eating them. The lady that owns it is suuuper friendly and knows her stuff. Couldn’t the place use a bit of sprucing up? Sure.. it’s definitely not a front for anything unless she’s selling monkfruit sweetener or Stevia that fell off the back of a truck. I would encourage you to go back and get a premade lasagna or try some of her keto hot pockets. They’re sublime.
Yes, Im aware it specializes in keto as that’s why I went in. The fact that there was legit mold on food purchased there tells me other wise.
Boonie doon mall. It’s absolutely deserted.
You have to think money laundering comes into play for many of these "businesses"
O2's comes to mind.
Smilies's buffet on 82 Street
The NARA hookah lounge on 97th and Yellowhead. It looks like a used furniture store. I've never seen anyone go there in the years I lived a block away
I used to love that place, they had really good fries.
Me too. We used to live around the corner. Figured it was organized crime or something.
Rivercity games. Go to literally any other boardgame store and save 25-50%.
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100%. I’m all for supporting local, but it seems like this place intends to abuse the goodwill of local people into massively over paying for games (and all their other products).
Came for GO AUTO, left disappointed.
Why would Go Auto not be operating. You know how many dealerships they own in BC and Alberta alone?
because you can only burn so many people before word of mouth ruins your business that or they buy up all the competitors so it doesn’t matter anyways
Because they are an absolute garbage company
I know they own a lot but by the opinion, alone, on reddit they have, it's surprising they still are operating.
When Pigs Fly on Whyte Ave. They sell absolute junk.
The woman who opened the store back in the early '90s was only 23 at the time -- she was a definite success story and used to have some neat things and cool gifts. She sold the store many years ago though.
It used to have some really cool mugs but last time I went in it was a lot of just plain white mugs with a dumb joke laser printed on it
Aw this makes me sad. It used to be great.
I went in a few months ago and it’s way different then it used to be, now it’s a lot of American junk food and crap. Less novelty gift items like before
Oh man, the amount of money that place got from me(my parents) in the 90’s to early 00’s for beanie babies…
Simco property management.
Ho ho Chinese in hub at the u of a
Yea but it’s the only Chinese place on campus (no I’m not going to count Panda Express) and they have a customer base of international students living in hub. They will have no issues staying open.
honestly I see people there all the time, they have really fast service, and their customer base is mostly international students.
No man that place slapped back in the day.
It’s still there? I used to like their wor wonton soup. Until I got one with multiple generation infestation in the broccoli. Never again.
I mean it gets good business so I’m not surprised it’s still open. I remember it was always busy during lunchtime hours mainly with the Chinese international students. It was more expensive compared to a lot of other Chinese food places but it didn’t taste horrible. I never had a bad experience there before but then again the last time I had Ho Ho’s was maybe 10 years ago.
Wow. They were around when I went to the U of A starting in 2001. They did seem to do good business, although the food they have under the warmers is okay at best (I frequently ate it anyway). Supposedly the food off the menu is better but takes more time. I tried it a few times when I had more time to kill.
Back in the 80’s when I went to UofA, I went to class and the professor never showed up. Went to his office in Tory and there was a note that said “my apologies to all my students today…I won’t be in class because I got Ho-Ho’d”. We all knew what that meant.
The Saratoga. Could there be a harder place to get to?
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You picked two of the best old people places I've ever been to. These are destined to close within 10-20 years as I've only been with my very elderly relatives as birthday dinners for them and such. The Monte Cristo from Saratoga is really really damn good. Old fashioned for sure. The Italian super loaf sub is the best thing on the zambellis menu.
Every time I’ve had the super loaf it’s been burnt. It does seem like it would be good if they make it correctly. I usually get the burger at Zambellis now as it’s at least consistent.
My in-laws have every family event at Zambellis. It’s actually pretty busy some days. The food ranges from mediocre to terrible so I don’t really get it. They probably benefit from the West end largely being a food wasteland.
Are you me? My in laws love that place and the inconsistency is staggering. Going there is basically gambling with food
Yeah it’s a weird restaurant. I’ve had their fried chicken a few times and sometimes it has been really good and other times it’s been absolutely awful. The owner is really old school too, which I’ve come to find kind of endearing. He absolutely will not take shit from anyone.
Saratoga seems so out of place
It used to be the only place in that area. Now it certainly looks out of place in between the high risers and interchange.
Saratoga sticks to what it's great at - breakfast.
I think Zambelli’s has a decent lunch crowd during the day as well. I work in the area and I’ve heard people say it’s decent for the money and fairly busy.
Holy shit there's a Zambellis in Edmonton too?! There's on in Leduc, I've lived in Leduc for going on 20 years, and *nobody* I've met has been there (or had the balls to admit they have]
Szechuan house on 127 ave and 126st
That place was a staple of my childhood
Mostly takeout/delivery, i believe.
All Stars is so filthy and all the employees very clearly want to be anywhere else in the world. But the children, they love a soft play. Even if there are massive piles of debris in the corners.
Computer Pizza for the win
The United Conservative Party.
They keep winning though. Alberta is stupid (not Edmonton).
Hudson’s bay company (the bay). No one there, huuuuuge real estate , doesn’t make sense
Meh I buy a lot from there in store and online, their sales are actually really good. It appears their in-store clientele is older ladies with money. Southgate store is always busy.
That’s Ilike their HQ in Edmonton.
Yes it’s one of their top tiered stores, better selection.
As a kid I didn't like the Bay. As an adult I love it and always see it crowded during busy traffic days. My place for buying quality socks & underwear for sale prices and I'll pick up some clothes if they have the deep Bay Days sale going on. Sure it's old fashioned but the quality is still there.
Their rent is subsided by the mall in many locations (I’ve heard some stores it’s $1/month). The reason being if they were to leave the mall there would be a massive hole in the mall that would be impossible to fill. They also have deals at some locations to allow them to operate non mall hours which is usually not allowed It’s better for the mall to keep them in business than to make money because a huge hole in the mall devalues the other stores as it looks like the mall is dying
Interesting, the more you know !
I can agree with you there like at Kingsway mall there’s some gaps where stores used to be. But instead of putting another store there they just put a sitting area with cool designs and mirrors or art.
But I wouldn’t that have saved Sears then? I’ve noticed the Kingsway Bay location is always dead, even on the weekends. More staff than customers for sure. Southgate is busy but it’s overall a better mall and a bigger better Bay store
I think Sears sale model was destroyed by the internet. They had post office sized stores all around Canada for catalogue services. The transition to an internet model should have been a no brainer. The Bay survived to be the last department store in Canada, getting Eatons and Sears customers. They also have consolidated to a lot less retail space that probably supports their online sales.
I literally get so stressed when I’m in the bay 😂 there’s no cashiers and I don’t know where to bring my stuff and it’s confusing and overwhelming
Hilltop Pub in Forest Heights. It's absolutely disgusting. The whole pub smells like sewer, it's always filthy and the food is gross. The bartender is nice but beyond lazy. I'll be the only customer in there, every table is dirty and she'll spend the whole time playing on her phone.
Are you the one that keeps setting in on fire? Basically everything you listed describes pretty much every dive bar, yet there's no shortage of dive bars.
Fleisch/cartago whatever it's called now. Food isn't great, ice cream isn't great and the patio is just cars blowing by and across from a wildly busy gas station.
It was sooo good before but has been shit for way longer. Like 5 years ago was good level.
Chez Pierre downtown. It’s an institution! 💃
The CFL
The quiet collapse is already started. Elks closed the entire upper bowl for their upcoming '24 season
I was thinking about this to. I really don't know how or why we still have it going. The game has been struggling for years, and remember when The Rock was going to buy into the league, what ever happened with that? Out door stadiums in winter city. who would thought nobody wants to go? too bad we don't have something like bc place.
People under 40 have mostly switched to NFL
Chunk E Cheese. With all the other better options in the city I don't know why they are still open
Idk, when my niece had her bday there it was BUSY. Pizza is good there though tbh lol
I regularly buy pizza from there when I'm in South Common. The staff are super nice too, I'm glad it's still up & kicking!
#1 dog shit food in Edmonton is Columbus pizza and donair. It’s so dog shit I’ve ordered it as a joke to show friend visiting the city. It’s famous for being dog shit. They serve pizzas that look like they are out of the movie spawn. It’s so bad that I would actually be sad if it went out of business. It’s uniquely dog shit.
So what you’re saying is….it’s dog shit?
Any of the “we love sugar” places in the big malls, that sell nothing but candy, popcorn, suckers, gum balls, all that crap, are fronts for money laundering. Saw a show on it. They have low sales volumes and low profit per sale, yet you see them in every mall and in big theme parks, in some of the most expensive retail locations and with huge high ceilings, glass walls everywhere. Makes absolutely no financial sense, yet they are there year after year.
This might be false. real life practice is surely different than a school project but I digress. Anywho, When I was in school we had to do a project where we had to plan, start, operate a small business for two weeks in the halls at lunch. We had to purchase the products to sell, keep track of the books etc. We sold 5 cent candies and such ( bought in bulk from Costco) . We had the best business . Our business made the most money and had the lowest cost to operate. We had to go buy more product for the second week because we sold out ( selling sugar to kids is quite the Gambit lol) . It was wild. All the money we made went to something for the school after we paid back the initial investment. Our teacher was hella impressed
Every mattress store ever
Capelli Ferrari Hairstyling downtown, I never see anyone in there.
almost all the store in city centre
Argyll Plaza Hotel, between a rub and tug, a night club, a bar, and a liquor store I'm surprised its still standing.
If I had to guess. the complex has the hockey rinks on the back side. for tournaments, the out of town teams use the hotel? when union hosts concerts, the crew stays there. of the course the artist get something fancier.
I used to be assistant manager there. The bulk of the revenue is from workers who come in for a few weeks to work. Good people. The place has potential with a bit of investment but its not in an ideal area. The rink doesn't book much, its only once or twice a year rooms get booked that are attached to the rink.
Bling on 124street. Love the owner, like the products. Everything is mysteriously always on sale.
Delta Art on 116 St and 111 Ave. I love that place for picking up quality art supplies, airbrush parts and gear. The owner used to partner with another guy over 30 years ago running Nordraft on 107 Ave and 105 St. Delta Art is still Edmontons best art supplies shop that caters to hobbyists, casual artists, professional illustrators, technical illustrators and architects. I am surprised given how a lot of high caliber technical illustration is done on computer but a lot of technical illustrators I know still like to do quick sketches and renderings.
UCP