At least six downtown Edmonton restaurants close since early June

At least six downtown Edmonton restaurants have closed for good since the beginning of June, marking a troubling summer for the city's core.

Khazana, an Indian restaurant on 107 Street near 102 Avenue that anchored downtown for 28 years, shut down in June. Former operations manager Maheik Bhasin pointed to years of surrounding construction—O-day'min Park to the south and bike lanes and the Valley Line West LRT on 102 Avenue to the north—as the primary reason. Vehicle access became blocked, pedestrian detours confused customers, and the once-busy restaurant lost money.

"We used our savings to entertain city projects," Bhasin said.

Since then, five other downtown venues announced closures: Greta bar on 109 Street near Jasper Avenue, kb&co, Kommune, Bündok, and PlayWright. Greta owner Chris Decock, who also co-owns Hudsons Canada's Pub, described the challenge in a letter: "No single decision brought us here. It wasn't one tax increase. It wasn't patio fees. It wasn't paid parking. It wasn't hybrid work. It wasn't safety. It wasn't one construction project. It was death by a thousand cuts."

The Downtown Revitalization Coalition echoes the concern. Executive committee member Cheryll Watson said safety remains a deterrent and construction for the Valley Line LRT and road work projects compounds the problem. "Right now, we have businesses that have their [access and visibility] compromised," Watson warned.