Midway Garden's final supper: Happy Valley-Goose Bay restaurant scales back
Lack of employees, cancer diagnosis forces closure of long-standing Midway Garden Restaurant
You could say closing Midway Garden for Mother's Day was a practice run for Edgar and Judy Kippenhuck for when they shut their doors for good at the end of the month.
Plagued with a lack of employees, a frozen temporary foreign workers program and a devastating medical diagnosis, the couple in Happy Valley-Goose Bay said they had no choice but to close after nearly 32 years in business.
- Happy Valley-Goose Bay businesses seek foreign worker-ban exemption
- Happy Valley-Goose Bay businesses struggling to find staff
"I used to always look forward to Mother's Day [because] it was such a busy day, we just couldn't do it this year," Judy Kippenhuck said while fighting back tears.
The decision to scale back from a restaurant on Hamilton River Road to a take-out establishment wasn't a decision the Kippenhucks took lightly, or easily.
"It's been 31 years of hard work, but I loved it, enjoyed every moment of it. My husband [hasn't] yet heard me complain about going to work," she said.
"That's why everybody says, 'Judy that's your baby. This is your baby.' Because we don't have any children, Edgar and I, and I always worked — day and night — but the time has come to make some changes."
No skilled workers available
Last week, 10 employees were handed lay off notices.
While it was a sad day, Kippenhuck said her loyal staff understands the grim liver cancer diagnosis Edgar is facing.
- These are uncertain times for temporary foreign workers
- Lots of 'help wanted' signs in Happy Valley-Goose Bay
Health issues aside, the couple said it's nearly impossible to find suitable workers.
The excitement of almost 32 years ago when we opened, I'll never forget it.- Edgar Kippenhuck
"[The temporary foreign worker coordinator] said the province is 14 per cent unemployed but here in Goose Bay it's probably two per cent," Edgar Kippenhuck said.
"There is nobody looking for work other than students for the summer, which you can't run the restaurant with because you need cooks, you need qualified people to do the job."
The business will now consist of take-out and delivery service that still offers favourites like poutine, pizza and burgers to customers, the couple said.
"The excitement of almost 32 years ago when we opened, I'll never forget it," Edgar Kippenhuck said. "But this excitement is totally different. We [will be] very sad on the day we will close."
The dining room will close for good on May 31.
With files from John Gaudi