The retro diner fronting Paul’s Motor Inn is getting a makeover and new local manager.
It’s the first time Paul’s Restaurant, which opened in 1952 at 1900 Douglas St., will be leased by its owner.
The ’60s-style restaurant is closing Sunday for renovations and will reopen April 1 under the new management of Ross Clark, who owns and operates Mary’s Bleue Moon in Sidney with his wife, Val.
“It’s going to be restored to its original glory,” said Avril Matthews, director of sales and marketing for Paul’s Motor Inn. “It will still remain a diner. The food will be the same and the favourites will stay on, but there will be some new items as well and some healthier choices.”
Clark has run Mary’s Bleue Moon on Canora Road for 21 years, including 11 spent in the kitchen.
“He’s got tons of experience working with a similar style restaurant-diner with that kind of menu,” Matthews said.
The Clarks are on vacation and could not be reached for comment.
The late Paul and Artie Arsens opened Paul’s Restaurant 62 years ago, which they soon followed with the Motor Inn. The couple purchased the Inn at Laurel Point (then calling it the Laurel Point Inn) in 1980.
Both properties have operated under a trust headed by Ian Powell, a former Empress hotel manager and Anglican priest, since 2008.
Powell said he has been approached by several chains about the space, but accepted Clark’s offer because of his proven independent experience.
“It’s classic independent entrepreneurs working together,” he said. “[The diner] is an institution and the last thing I want it to be … is a chain. It’s individual; it always has been and so it should continue to be.”
Powell said Clark, who signed a five-year lease on the property, is consulting the company on renovations, from carpet colours to vinyl upholstery.
“So it’s not carte-blanche, ‘Oh my god, what have you done,’ ” Powell said.
He said that while a few employees have chosen to leave the restaurant during the transition, he was not aware of any layoffs.
Renee Crawford, who owns and operates the Copper Owl bar and lounge on the building’s north side, said she’s optimistic about the changes underway.
“They’re kind of breathing new life into the space, which I think is going to be a really positive thing for us as well as the building in general,” Crawford said.
The diner is currently closed evenings Sunday through Thursday, but Crawford notices more vibrancy in the area when the restaurant is open on on Friday and Saturday evenings. She’s looking forward to extended diner hours.
“I haven’t met with the new owner yet, but we’re looking forward to collaborating on things to bring more traffic in on an ongoing basis,” she said.
Crawford signed a three-year lease for her second-floor, copper-roofed space last March. An anniversary party on March 8 will celebrate the Copper Owl’s first year.
