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Swiss Chalet and Harvey's coming??

Swiss Chalet and Harvey's coming??

'NuffSaid
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'NuffSaid
Joined: This month
Posts: 28

Swiss Chalet and Harvey's coming??
2/12/2016 at 7:57 PM

I just read that Swiss Chalet and Harvey's are coming to the Mall in the George's Burgers thread.
This is super exciting!!! I'm from Ontario and I so miss Swiss Chalet's fresh cut fries dipped in that delicious Chalet sauce. Brandon really needs this restaurant!!
I could just drink their sauce it is so good.
Anybody hear anything else about it? Like when it is opening??
Where exactly is it going?
I hope this is not another bogus rumour like Costco seems to be.

Edited by DiningOutDiva, 2016-02-12 20:19:12
PT1001
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 779

PT1001
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 779

I'm not buying it
2/12/2016 at 8:08 PM

Love Swiss Chalet, but the Shoppers Mall Brandon will make a public announcement through the Brandon Sun Newspaper, Twitter, FB and ebrandon combined. They have a presence at all places media wise.

Can you back up your title post with facts? If so, I'll eat crow, but prove things before posting with a link or a source of information that is credible.

Edited by Kellye, 2016-02-12 20:15:53
Murfasa
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 46

Murfasa
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 46

Swiss Chalet
2/12/2016 at 9:01 PM

Yes it's coming. Gonna be a stand alone restaurant in the north east corner of the old Target location. On the corner of 18th and Richmond ave. Trust me, this is coming from a very reliable source.
Adam

Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 15663

Adam
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Posts: 15663

Swiss Chalet
2/12/2016 at 10:15 PM

Here's the discussion where this was initially mentioned:
https://ebrandon.ca/messagethread.aspx?message_id=932353&cat_id=7

Without a more concrete source I would file this one under rumour at the moment, but have to admit that it would make an awful lot of sense to this outsider if both sides could find financials that work for them and if it's consistent with the future direction of the mall.

- Seems that Morguard (mall management) has been trying to attract a restaurant for a while now, though the site that has a sign up is in the theatre parking lot
- Theres a bit of a trend of mountains being moved to accommodate franchise restaurants in the Keystone/18th S area (Browns, as far as I know Original Joes still and even Boston Pizza if you want to go a little further back. You could probably also lump the Gullivers conversion into Blu in with that)
- Hard to argue with the Northeast corner of the mall lot being absolutely ideal for a restaurant. Don't know what exact realities the mall is dealing with in a post-Target world, but if by any chance it doesn't look like there'll be a big box anchor in their place perhaps it's easier to make a case for making better use of that corner of the parking lot
- A number of years ago I was given the impression from someone that should know that Swiss Chalet was one of the more likely franchises that we could eventually see in the city under the right circumstances
- Cara (Swiss Chalet, Harveys parent) is definitely expanding the Swiss Chalet Harveys combo concept into other markets across the country as per:
http://www.carafranchising.com/blog/the-swiss-chalet-harveys-combo-is-growing/
- Cara is growing quite agressively overall, targeting 30-50 restaurant openings per year (not necessarily just Swiss Chalet of course):
http://cara.investorroom.com/2015-11-11-Cara-Operations-Limited-Reports-Third-Quarter-2015-Results-Operating-EBITDA-grows-33-2-Net-Income-increases-by-773-and-SRS-up-1-9

Morguard is having the latest earnings call on Wednesday. If there is something to this maybe more info becomes apparent by that time.... but without any true first hand info from players being mentioned I would consider this only rumour and hypothetical.

Edited by Adam, 2016-02-12 22:29:18
Garret
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 623

Garret
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Posts: 623

I
2/12/2016 at 10:59 PM

I heard, through sources I am unwilling to reveal, that the old motel north of Applebee's is turning into an original joe's. And if I am wrong I can post a video of me eating a pie made from crow

Adam

Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 15663

Adam

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Posts: 15663

Original Joes

2/13/2016 at 7:18 AM

Garret said "I heard, through sources I am unwilling to reveal, that the old motel north of Applebee's is turning into an original joe's. And if I am wrong I can post a video of me eating a pie made from crow "

Re that property, this was almost a year ago now so may have hit some kind of snag?
http://brandon.ca/images/pdf/planning/developmentapplications/variance/2015/05/Submitted_Documents_V-05-15-B.pdf

Kato
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 779

Kato
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Posts: 779

....
2/13/2016 at 9:51 AM

Swiss Chalet doesn't thrill me. People have said how good it is, yet when we went to the one in Winnipeg it was terrible. My husbands ribs were so dry and tough he couldn't eat them, and my chicken wasn't much better. I thought the sauce tasted kind of "off", like there was some kind of weird spice in it. I don't think I could even talk him into trying it again.
garden123
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 137

garden123
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 137

Swiss
2/13/2016 at 10:21 AM

The chicken and sauce is amazing! I've never had the ribs there. The good thing about Swiss is that it's affordable family dining. Much better priced than most restaurants now a days. I'm going to get cravings now that this idea is planted in my head. Thanks a lot! I hope it comes soon but with how long things take to build... Mmm, 1/4 chicken, white with fries...

ultraguy
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 1096

ultraguy

Joined: Jul 2005

Posts: 1096

2/13/2016 at 11:22 AM

Kato said "Swiss Chalet doesn't thrill me. People have said how good it is, yet when we went to the one in Winnipeg it was terrible. My husbands ribs were so dry and tough he couldn't eat them, and my chicken wasn't much better. I thought the sauce tasted kind of "off", like there was some kind of weird spice in it. I don't think I could even talk him into trying it again. "

Swiss Chalet is pure advertising hype and often a disappointment when you finally go, much like Red Lobster. The one in Winnipeg is no exception, and only gets an average rating of 2.6/5. I couldn't care less if one comes here.

https://www.zomato.com/winnipeg-mb/swiss-chalet-winnipeg

Edited by ultraguy, 2016-02-13 11:23:00

sammy
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 8749

sammy
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 8749

.
2/13/2016 at 3:50 PM

We really like Swiss chalet so this will be cool if it's not a rumour! We've never had a bad meal there and it's so inexpensive.

Not a fan of the sauce really but do eat it sometimes. Is it cinnamon or something??
nkorpan
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 96

nkorpan
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 96

Awesome
2/13/2016 at 4:48 PM

if true. Whenever we are in Winnipeg we try to go to swiss chalet. Packed every time. I miss those two restaurants from Ontario.

Emracoad
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Emracoad

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Cloves?

2/13/2016 at 5:04 PM

sammy said "We really like Swiss chalet so this will be cool if it's not a rumour! We've never had a bad meal there and it's so inexpensive.

Not a fan of the sauce really but do eat it sometimes. Is it cinnamon or something?? "

I'm not sure what the spice in it actually is but I've always liked the sauce. My husband likes the food there but can't stand the sauce so I always get double the sauce with my meal

I grew up in a large city where Harvey's / Swiss Chalet were common. Whenever we go home to visit (only once a year), they are both on the list of places to eat. If this turns out to be true I will go every time I'm in Brandon.

Like any chain restaurant though the service and food can vary greatly from location to location. I always knew which ones to avoid at home. Hopefully this one (if it will exist) will be well run and managed.

CL
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 2625

CL
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 2625

2/14/2016 at 3:02 AM

I'm excited that a Swiss Chalet may be coming. But it will only be one of the express locations inside a Harvey's like the old Winnipeg airport location. I'm not a fan of the weird rubbery burgers that Harvey's has, just leaves a weird taste in my mouth.. But it's better than BK now days
Adam

Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 15663

Adam
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Posts: 15663

Morguard
2/18/2016 at 3:28 PM

Morguard earnings today. Market loved it (almost 6% pop in the stock). Skimmed the (long long) link below and the closest I could find is a reference to the former Target space being classified as under development:

From the link:
"During the quarter the Trust made a strategic decision to redevelop the former Target space at Cambridge Centre, The Centre @ Circle & 8th, Brandon Shoppers Mall and Prairie Mall, as well as the former Everest College space at St. Laurent Centre. The Trust now classifies these spaces as under development."

Not sure if you would go as far as extending that potentially to the parking lot that would've been seen as for Target use, but food for thought.

http://www.morguard.com/Documents/Morguard%20REIT/Financial%20Reports/MRT_Q4_2015.pdf

zdeno721
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zdeno721

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what i heard

2/18/2016 at 4:32 PM

Adam said "

Garret said "I heard, through sources I am unwilling to reveal, that the old motel north of Applebee's is turning into an original joe's. And if I am wrong I can post a video of me eating a pie made from crow "

Re that property, this was almost a year ago now so may have hit some kind of snag?
http://brandon.ca/images/pdf/planning/developmentapplications/variance/2015/05/Submitted_Documents_V-05-15-B.pdf "

I did worked on the site plan to sell that property and it was my understanding that the building on 18th (western motel) was planned to be original joes while the 2 buildings in the back on 19th would stay. there is a back lane that runs through the middle. that was in September tho and im unsure of how long these things take. but I can confirm that steps had been made to start the process.

Adam

Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 15663

Adam
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Posts: 15663

Paddock
2/19/2016 at 8:19 AM

Fwiw, someone mentioned Paddock Drilling in a post a few days ago. Looks like this morning they're drilling way at the South end South of Sport Chek, so perhaps not related?
Adam

Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 15663

Adam
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Posts: 15663

Lot
3/24/2016 at 3:01 PM

Perhaps nothing (my expertise in this area is limited) but added a pic of a little something in that section of land that I don't think you'd see on a normal day...

The_Young_Man
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The_Young_Man

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Building

3/24/2016 at 4:27 PM

zdeno721 said "

Adam said "

Garret said "I heard, through sources I am unwilling to reveal, that the old motel north of Applebee's is turning into an original joe's. And if I am wrong I can post a video of me eating a pie made from crow "

Re that property, this was almost a year ago now so may have hit some kind of snag?
http://brandon.ca/images/pdf/planning/developmentapplications/variance/2015/05/Submitted_Documents_V-05-15-B.pdf "

I did worked on the site plan to sell that property and it was my understanding that the building on 18th (western motel) was planned to be original joes while the 2 buildings in the back on 19th would stay. there is a back lane that runs through the middle. that was in September tho and im unsure of how long these things take. but I can confirm that steps had been made to start the process. "

I noticed a few months back the Western Hotel went back up for sale and now the sale included all three buildings that are part of the Western Motel, instead of just the front building where the proposed development was suppose to go. So im guessing the whole deal or whatever it was with original Joes and Shindico(developer) feel through or there was no interest anymore. But of course that is only an assumption, so who knows.

But as for the drilling that has been going on at the Shoppers Mall over the last few weeks...the other day they were drilling in front of the old liquor mart location at the mall. So it could be unrealateed to any development

Adam

Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 15663

Adam
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Posts: 15663

Swiss Chalet/Harveys
4/4/2016 at 3:50 PM

Still nothing in the form of any kind of announcement or verifiable fact to back this rumour, but for what its worth they are looking to open one of these combo restaurants in Prince Albert... which you could say is in the same general size of market as Brandon:
http://www.paherald.sk.ca/News/Local/2016-04-01/article-4484724/Looking-to-open-Swiss-Chalet-Harveys-in-Prince-Albert/1
mugs
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 34

mugs
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Posts: 34

im
4/4/2016 at 7:08 PM

Not really a fan of Harveys, their burgers remind me of those cheap frozen burgers from the grocery store lol. That being said haven't tried their sirloin burger they tells me it's good but can't bring myself to try it. Swiss chalet is pretty good for their chicken but there fries are weird they cut them and fry them in the am and then reheat them before they serve.
mugs
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 34

mugs
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Posts: 34

also
4/4/2016 at 7:11 PM

Did hear from a corporate person that they are talking about opening here in brandon. This is first hand info as I deliver to both a combo store and a stand alone swiss chalet.
garden123
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 137

garden123
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Posts: 137

confirmed
4/4/2016 at 10:14 PM

Heard this was a done deal from the actual franchisee. I'd say that's as confirmed as you can get. Don't know on timing or exact location but it's coming for sure.
The_Young_Man
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The_Young_Man
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Swiss chalet/Harvey's
4/4/2016 at 11:42 PM

If they are opening one in Prince Albert, then I see no reason to not open one in Brandon. Both cities have roughly the same population(higher pop in Brandon) and trading area. If so I will believe it when I see a sign go up and construction starts it though.
CL
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 2625

CL
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 2625

4/5/2016 at 12:55 AM

The company that owns Swiss Chalet/Harveys (and Montanas) just bought out Rotisseries St Hubert, which is an awesome rotisserie chain in Quebec/New Brunswick/French Ontario, I'd rather see the bring in a St Hubert, but the food will probably degrade in quality/consistency if it expanded outside of that region
Adam

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Adam
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Swiss Chalet/Harveys
4/5/2016 at 8:26 AM

Have been in touch with the franchisee for our local Montanas. I'm told the same team also happen to be well into the process of dotting i's and crossing t's to bring a Swiss Chalet/Harvey's combo to Brandon at 18th and Richmond in what was formerly known as the Target parking lot. Expect it to look a lot like the photo the Prince Albert newspaper used at the link I posted above. Sounds like we should see dirt turn as spring wears on and if all goes according to plan we should see an opening late this fall. Looking forward to seeing it come together!
ultraguy
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 1096

ultraguy
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Posts: 1096

&;gt;&;gt;&;gt;
4/5/2016 at 8:39 AM

St Hubert >>> Swiss Chalet
BuddyCthulhu
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Posts: 387

BuddyCthulhu
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Posts: 387

Agree with mugs
4/5/2016 at 2:17 PM

Had a burger at a Harvey's in Winnipeg and was not impressed, the patty was like a frozen Schneider's burger. Swiss Chalet never did much for me either. Although I did love me some Kenny Roger's Roasters before they turned to crap . . .
The_Young_Man
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The_Young_Man
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LOL
4/5/2016 at 3:01 PM

I love how people complain that Brandon has a poor selection of restaurants and stores, but then when something new is announced people are quick to throw it under the bus. Really guys?...I Guess you can`t please everyone and everyone has a difference of opinion, but think positive for a change and keep an open mind or if you don't like it, keep it to yourself. And people wonder why businesses suffer and don't last in Brandon. Tough crowd I guess.

I actually find it funny though, people were saying the same negative things when Tim Horton's announced they were opening locations in Brandon back in the early 2000`s. But look at it now.

Edited by The_Young_Man, 2016-04-05 15:11:01
ultraguy
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ultraguy
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Posts: 1096

.
4/5/2016 at 3:12 PM

The new pupusa restaurant seems to be receiving positive comments, not being thrown under the bus at all. But another mediocre chain coming to town isn't enough for me to get excited about.

Adam

Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 15663

Adam

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Posts: 15663

Discussion

4/5/2016 at 3:28 PM

ultraguy said "The new pupusa restaurant seems to be receiving positive comments, not being thrown under the bus at all. But another mediocre chain coming to town isn't enough for me to get excited about. "

Opinion noted. From this point perhaps more constructive to start a separate discussion on establishments that would be consistent with your interests?