Thanks Crackmacs. It's been a tough 2 years for local restaurants. I've lost money trying to start one up. I don't recommend it for anyone without deep pockets. It's only going to get worse as staff wages go up and the disposable income and expense accounts dry up from the local economy. A lot of people who have been laid off are trying to get into start-ups and the food industry (small restaurants, food trucks, etc.) and it's also creating more pressure in the space. Landlords still haven't adjusted to the new economic realities and leasing costs are still high per square footage from what I've seen.
We have a restaurant thread on CP that we try to update with news, reviews, etc:
http://forum.calgarypuck.com/showthread.php?t=147275