You won't be seeing this hip cocktail and snack bar for much longer. The popular Riverside bar, I'll Be Seeing You announced to devote followers on their Instagram page this week that they will be closing their doors next month.
The sister-owned neighbourhood bar states that the plight of a large rent increase, an uncooperative landlord, combined with the challenges of COVID-19 still looming, make it nearly impossible to keep their dream alive.
"We have tried to negotiate a fair lease renewal with our landlord for the past two months and unfortunately, it was not possible," says owners Natasha and Vanessa Smardenka.
"We feel this is unfair due to the past six-plus months of hardships the industry had endured and looking forward to a difficult few years to come," they continue.
The food and beverage industry has taken a hard hit this year and still faces many challenges to come as temperatures drop and the fear of a second wave linger. Despite the federal government's economic relief efforts, such as the commercial rent subsidy act (CECRA), some commercial landlords are reluctant to work with their tenants to find a fair compromise and expect tenants to bear the losses.
"This pandemic is a time when everyone needs to work together to survive and greed has no place in this and will surely not help us all to go forward as an industry," the owners wrote.
In the sincere post, the Smardenka sisters personally thank friends, family, staff and customers for their support and memories made over the past five years. The bar's last day will be October 24; though they are saddened to walk away from the dream they've built through the years and the people they've met, the sisters have promised to go out on a high note.
