1 week Ago By Zac Delaney
Article content With the New Year, the city welcomes new businesses just getting their start, but as they wave hello to some, Edmontonians are also waving goodbye to other local favourites. As Edmontonians switch to a new calendar, some took to Reddit on Thursday to share the locales they loved and will miss the most in 2025. Some places have a storied history, others have been around for relatively less time but managed to cook up a large following.
No matter their history, here are the top places that locals say they’ll miss this year. Chicken for Lunch One of the earliest and toughest goodbyes for many posters was, after more than 30 years of operation, Chicken For Lunch, which was located in the Rice Howard Place food court. Chicken For Lunch announced its closure this past February.
As the name suggests, the shop was a favourite for a quick stop in a busy work day for lunch. Its reputation was so widely known that reviewers of the restaurant seemed to always note two key elements about the eatery: it was tasty and it was busy. Synonymous with the food’s reputation was the fame of one of its owner and operators, Amy Quon, whose retirement triggered the closure.
Quon was well known for her happy and helpful customer service. Biera The end of 2024 also marked the end of Biera and its accompanying Blind Enthusiasm Market Brewery at the Ritchie Market (9570 76 Ave.) after a seven-year run.
Known for its in-house brewed beer and eclectic food menu, Redditors say they will mourn the Ritchie restaurant. In a note about the closure, owner Greg Zeschuk said shifting market conditions were to blame for the end, but that its Monolith brewery location on 99 Street will continue operations as is. “D ue to changes to market conditions, we feel the restaurant is in need of a revamp, but we’re not going to be the ones to do it.
Our goal is to find a worthy successor with fresh ideas and energy that will continue to serve customers in the existing space,” said Zeschuk. In the announcement, Zeschuk said that after a brief closure in the New Year, the group would be making an announcement early this year about the reopening of the Biera Market as a new business, still offering many of the same products patrons have grown to love. Shōjō Izakaya Shōjō Izakaya, located at 10425 121 St.
under Wilfred’s in the Brewery District, closed its doors in October, but locals say they will still miss the eatery in 2025. Opened in fall 2019, Shōjō specialized in Japanese tapas and achieved a strong local following for having tasty small plates of food, and well-crafted cocktails. Dalla Tavola Zenari Dalla , which was located at 10166 100A Ave.
in Enbridge Centre, held its final day of service on New Year’s Eve. While the Dalla restaurant’s tenure was relatively brief after opening in 2020, its deep roots in the Zenari family tradition mean the loss of the eatery is symbolically greater than just the Dalla restaurant. The traditional Italian locale had a strong customer base, developed over generations of satisfied Edmonton customers who will miss Dalla.
Ultimately, the restaurant went bankrupt due to financial troubles that plagued the eatery from the beginning, which opened amid the height of the Covid pandemic. Northern Chicken The second chicken locale on the list was around comparatively shorter, having opened just over seven years ago, but in its time garnered a strong reputation for some of the best fried chicken in the city. Located at 10184 104 St.
, Edmontonians said that Northern Chicken was a “small place with big flavour.” Redditors reported rumours of the release of Northern Chicken’s recipes, but as of this article, nothing has been released and the shop closed its doors this past February. NongBu NongBu Korean Eatery closed in the fall of 2024 after serving Edmontonians for roughly a decade.
Located at 8115 104 St., NongBu first opened in 2015 and quickly became a local favourite, especially given the gap in the market at the time for more Korean food options. NongBu received local critical acclaim not long after opening, and is credited with helping pave the way for more Korean restaurants to pop up around the city.
“ Thank you for all the great stories and memories about what Nongbu means to you. We are so blessed to have had your loyal support and friendship over the years. It’s hard to believe that it has come to an end,” said NongBu in a social media post in September, announcing its closure.
Gravy Gravy Burgers and Fries, located at 10933 120 St., closed its doors for the last time in April 2024. The burger restaurant offered a variety of vegan, vegetarian, and gluten free options for its customers, earning it a strong customer base for the eight years it was open.
“Thank you for all your support over the years. It means more to us than you could ever imagine. While we are closing our doors, there is much more to come.
Stay tuned for our next chapter,” wrote the Gravy team in a final Facebook post. Former owner of Gravy, Ryan Brodziak, was in the news in August after he and his son, Ozzy, and dog, Gouda, were struck by a car in Sherwood Park while out for a walk. A GoFundMe page was created to support the Brodziak family after the incident, which to date raised more than $290,000.
The last update on the page from Aug. 22 said that Ozzy and Gouda had shown positive recovery and were released from emergency care, while Ryan remained in intensive care for what was expected to be another month. Take 5 Take 5 was a North Edmonton staple for doughnuts, coffee, and deli options for several decades, but shut its doors permanently in September.
Located at 11801 48 St., Take 5 had a reputation of being a straightforward, but delicious, option for patrons looking for traditional doughnuts and simple coffee. As the final day of service neared in late September, Redditors reported having trouble getting a final doughnut from the shop as customers flocked to the store for a final taste only to find the baked goods sold out.
Malt and Mortar Perhaps known best for its large, sunny, summer patio, Malt and Mortar shut its doors in 2024, but its space will be used by a moving Whyte Avenue neighbour. Opened in 2017, Malt and Mortar enjoyed a good run on the competitive Whyte Avenue pub strip, including navigating a testing global pandemic that put all restaurants through the ringer. Apart from the outdoor eating options, Malt and Mortar offered Old Strathcona patrons a large selection of craft beer and standard-to-upscale bar foods.
Sweeping into the Malt and Mortar space will be Julio’s Barrio, which was once just a few doors down from the now-closed eatery. Although the list may be long, it is certainly not exhaustive of all the Edmonton eateries that closed over the past year. Did we snub your favourite closed spot? Email zdelaney@postmedia.
com to have it added to/featured in this story..
