Pizza

[Ashartus]

Originally Posted by Jbo

Can anyone help explain to me what the heck is happening with a pizza place in Northmount. (1350 Northmount Dr NW, Calgary, AB T2L 0E8)

Originally it opened up as Papa Murphys. Lasted a couple months and closed only to emerge as....

POW Pizza, same owner as Without Papers. Once his nutball crazy came out during the pandemic it went under quite quickly and was quickly rebranded and reopened as..... 8 Mile Pizza. Everyone assumed it was the same owner, but nope, it was apparently a different ownership.

A couple months later, it rebranded again..... This time to Red Top Pizza. This place I actually tried and it was pretty good. At the point, no idea the ownership or what the heck is happening but seemed to be around for a year.

Until recently is has rebranded AGAIN. This time to New York Pizzeria.

I have no idea what is happening but by my count that is 5 businesses in the same location in 3ish years. I have no idea what is happening besides them changing hands every 3-6 months.

Does anyone know anything on this?

There was another Papa Murphy's that opened up a few months ago in Christie Park and is now Uncle Al's. No idea if the ownership changed or they changed what chain they are franchised to.

[calgarygeologist]

Originally Posted by Jbo

Can anyone help explain to me what the heck is happening with a pizza place in Northmount. (1350 Northmount Dr NW, Calgary, AB T2L 0E8)

Originally it opened up as Papa Murphys. Lasted a couple months and closed only to emerge as....

POW Pizza, same owner as Without Papers. Once his nutball crazy came out during the pandemic it went under quite quickly and was quickly rebranded and reopened as..... 8 Mile Pizza. Everyone assumed it was the same owner, but nope, it was apparently a different ownership.

A couple months later, it rebranded again..... This time to Red Top Pizza. This place I actually tried and it was pretty good. At the point, no idea the ownership or what the heck is happening but seemed to be around for a year.

Until recently is has rebranded AGAIN. This time to New York Pizzeria.

I have no idea what is happening but by my count that is 5 businesses in the same location in 3ish years. I have no idea what is happening besides them changing hands every 3-6 months.

Does anyone know anything on this?

I definitely don't know specifically what is going on but I do know that restaurants and specifically pizza places are tough businesses to survive it.

We have a family friend who opened up a pizza place in an under-served, middle income community. They made some great pizzas and when they first opened business was really strong. But demand quickly dried up through no fault of their own and it is just really tough to keep up business at "premium" prices.

This was many years ago and well before COVID and subsequent inflationary pressures. That business pretty much ruined the family and led to divorce and I suspect was a big contributing factor to a suicide although that was about two years later.

[Inglewood Jack]

this pizza thread got dark real quick

[craigwd]

Originally Posted by curves2000

It's not bizarre at all, it literally is happening.

Another popular scam is to help fund a commercial real estate purchase with money from Business Development Canada. An investor goes through the program for the opening of a business, say a new pizza restaurant, get's some financing and grant money, operates shop for a short while and then potentially folds the business using the grant money to assist with the purchase of a real estate deal. Proceeds to then use the unleased space for the above mentioned visa program or for legit purposes.

Is this why the former Ed's Restaurant on 17th has it's like 7th tenant in 8 years?

[curves2000]

Originally Posted by craigwd

Is this why the former Ed's Restaurant on 17th has it's like 7th tenant in 8 years?

I honestly don't know what may be happening at that location. The scam I was referring to with regards to Business Development Canada is more in relations to buying or completing a new build strip mall type development.

Say you and I are partners in the completion of a strip mall with 10 commercials bays or whatever. I go to Business Development Canada with an idea for opening a new spot, need help with financing etc. We use the grant money to finish completion of our building, while building a spartan fake business in the bay we told BDC we were going to run. Perhaps fake isn't the best word, but a business we are not going to put our heart and soul into.

Anyways, we are not talking about millions in financing from BDC, but meaningful impactful dollars for construction/purchase.

Back to the pizza thread: Pizza is always GOOD!

[undercoverbrother]

Out at a meeting

Going to get Jon’s from Douglasdale for dinner

Yummy

[btimbit]

Used to live 4 blocks from Jon's

I miss it