Popular Halifax eateries Robie Street Station, El Chino to close after 10 years
Lease to end for local brunch and snack-bar spots on Tony’s corner
The owner of popular Halifax brunch spot Robie Street Station and sister snack bar El Chino says they'll close at the end of summer when their lease ends.
Kaleigh Burns told CBC News she never expected the restaurants would last more than a decade. And while the landlord offered to extend her lease, she said she turned it down to focus on family.
"We started to have some discussions with the landlord and try to figure out what was going to happen. What it came down to is that we were potentially given a two-year extension for our lease but in the meantime, I had a baby," Burns said.
Robie Street Station opened in 2014 next to Tony's Donair in an area that Burns describes as "the heart of the city," near the northwest corner of the Common. El Chino opened in 2016, originally under the name Robie Street Express.
Burns said her six staff are some of the most remarkable people she's known.
One of those staff members is Georgie Milburn, who described her time at the restaurants as an integral part of her life.
"Kaleigh is incredible. Everybody here, we have such a good team. It really feels like I'm working for a person and not like a company," she said.
The staff has gotten to know many of their regular customers, some of whom have become families since the restaurants opened.
"We know people who have come in and they've been pregnant and now the kids are like four or five," Milburn said, "and even if the kitchen doesn't know them by name, they know them by order."
One regular, Steph McNair, said they had gotten engaged in El Chino.
"I came in and I was excited to get a margarita. And then, I just noticed something was a little different with my partner that evening. I was like, 'What's going on?' And then all of a sudden, she brings out my ring and asked if I would be with her forever," McNair said.
Another longtime regular, Kelly Manning, said while she'll miss the food, she'll miss the people most.
New eatery possible
"The owners are incredible entrepreneurs, the food is fantastic, the location is amazing, and they'll just be so sorely missed," she said.
El Chino will close on Aug. 31 and Robie Street Station will close on Sept. 2, Burns said, and there are no plans to reopen the restaurants elsewhere.
"We might still do dumplings down the road," she said. "It's all just ideas that have been thrown around at this point. But I think if we were to come back with our real bricks and mortar, it would be something new."
However, Burns said they will be releasing many of their recipes before they say goodbye.
"When we get a little bit closer to our end date, I'll start releasing those videos on our Instagram so people can have those things that they love in the comfort of their home," she said.
Burns said the owner of Tony's Donair next door is the building's landlord, and there are plans to eventually demolish the buildings to put in housing units.
"I think it's time. I think this building has seen better days," Burns said.
The owner of Tony's Donair, Abraham Salloum, was unavailable for comment.
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