Breakfast is served – well, it will be, come December.
A long-standing pillar in Airdrie’s hospitality industry is set to return to the community together with a new owner and a new look later this year.
During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Airdrie Smitty’s location in East Lake announced it would close its doors for good on April 30, 2021.
The announcement, indicating the decision came as a result of tightening restrictions on in-person dining during the pandemic, was met with disappointment from customers, as well as current and former employees of the diner.
“We want to send a huge thank you to our staff and customers,” stated the April 8, 2021 post. “It has been an honour and a privilege to work beside and serve those in our community.
“We wish you all good health and success in the future and encourage you to support your local Airdrie restaurants.”
Calgary-based restaurant investor Desikan Thiruvendipuram said he saw last year’s Airdrie City View article about the closure of the diner amidst ongoing economic woes and increasing restrictions on the hospitality industry during the pandemic. The investor saw the shuttered diner as an opportunity to bring the community together under the Smitty’s banner once again.
Thiruvendipuram previously worked in management positions in the oil and gas industry. He said helping people succeed was the most fulfilling part of his work, adding he wanted to continue doing so as an entrepreneur.
“I really love helping people and restaurant industries usually come with a large number of people working as teams,” he said. “If I can make their lives successful, I feel very happy about that.”
The franchise owner said he typically looks to invest in businesses where he can help large teams become successful. He had been working with Smitty’s head office to determine a location to invest his time and money into.
“I read the article about the closure, and I asked [Smitty’s the reason],” he said, adding the former owners made a personal decision to shutter the Airdrie location.
Rob Sullivan, director of development with Smitty’s Canada, is responsible for managing Smitty’s restaurant designs as well as construction and renovation projects. He said the Smitty’s corporate team is elated to re-open Airdrie’s popular location in the coming months.
“It was not a location that we were looking to lose during the pandemic,” he said. “It was always a good location for us, and we’re thrilled to be able to add it back into the fold.
“We never wanted to close it and now we get to reopen it in the same spot with hopefully the same customers and some new ones, the support of the previous franchisee and a new franchisee. So I think stars aligned here and we couldn’t be happier.”
After deliberating with Smitty’s representatives over a prime spot for his investment, Thiruvendipuram visited the Airdrie location in person and said he felt an immediate affinity to the shuttered diner.
“It has a place in the community. It has a place among the staff,” Thiruvendipuram said. “There is no reason for this particular business to be shut down, so I took the decision to reopen it.”
He said because the location is currently closed to the public, he and his team have opted to give the diner a face-lift and renovate both its interior and kitchen. Though it is the same location, customers will be walking into a “fresh new” restaurant, he promised.
He said guests walking into the restaurant can expect the same experience and meals, but a revamped environment, with a family-friendly focus in the dining area, and a sports focus in the lounge.
“You’re not going to get a tired old restaurant,” he said. “It has a fresh new look to it and it’s not just surface – we really invested a lot of money to make this a nice venue for people to come and enjoy their time.”
The entrepreneur said he also wanted to hire back as many former employees of the previous Smitty’s restaurant as possible to ensure it had the same community feel.
“A good business has a place in this community. It helps the community, and I wanted to continue that,” he said. “The most important thing for me is to feel welcomed in the community and to actually be part of the community, engaging the community, hiring the old staff.”
The restaurateur has hired back both the previous kitchen and front of house managers, along with some Ukrainian refugees as new employees.
“It’s a very fulfilling thing. That to me is a very important motivation,” Thiruvendipuram said.
The new franchise owner has begun to engage with the community by signing a sponsorship agreement with the Airdrie Festival of Lights, funding children’s activities and train rides, as well as signage, banners, and lights.
He added many of Smitty’s management team live in Airdrie and he has friends here, so he feels a personal fondness for the city.
“It’s just a small-town feeling I really love,” he said. “[I hope to] welcome folks in and make them smile every day. It’s a very fulfilling thing to me and personally, that’s what motivates me to open this restaurant.”
The restaurant is tentatively set to open on Dec. 6. Thiruvendipuram said his vision is to have a full house with a warm and welcoming environment for families and a nice place to go with one's friends in the evening.
“Nothing too loud, but in a fun environment you’d have open mic nights, and it’s good food at a fairly nice price point that families could afford,” he said.
“That’s also part of the motivation given all the inflation and going out and eating after we’ve been restricted so much during COVID - it’s a social aspect of how we live.”
Thiruvendipuram said any former Smitty’s employees who are looking to rejoin the Airdrie team will be welcomed with “open arms.” He also encourages the community’s feedback with regards to featured menu items. The restaurant owner can be reached at [email protected]
