After being open for two years, one local restaurant is closing its doors forever.
Saviour’s Café and Bistro shut down earlier this month after being unable to meet staffing costs required to keep the business running.
“It’s so frustrating,” owner Solomon Debesay explained. “It was my dream, but there’s always a second chance. There’s always a light at the end of the tunnel.”
Saviour’s Café and Bistro specialized in Eritrean-Ethiopian cuisine, and Debesay was the chef behind the yummy creations.
Debesay, who fled Eritrea’s controlling and abusive government in 2004, decided to open a restaurant that combined Africa’s complex flavour and spice combinations with European cuisine.
Through his restaurant, he wanted people to taste and experience his culture. He said locals in St. Albert rushed to his business when it first opened, wanting to experience international fare.
But as minimum wage increased, he found himself having to cut staff. This past year, the owner found himself alone operating the restaurant, which included taking orders, cooking and serving.
A few times, the restaurant became so busy Debesay had a hard time meeting everyone’s demands. In the past, customers have stepped in to help him serve food.
But most days, the restaurant wouldn’t have enough customers to break even for the day. He found having just two employees on staff became too expensive.
Being busy also had a negative impact on how he wanted to run the business. The owner prides himself on being highly relational, often wanting to talk and get to know each customer.
With being the only person on the floor, he found himself not able to take the time to connect with people as much.
He is now handing the keys over to an owner who specializes in Turkish food. He feels the new owner, opening Jano's Café and Bistro, will be more successful since it will be a family-run business.
“I don’t want them to have the same problems. When they grow, then they can hire employees,” he said.
The closure of Saviour’s Café and Bistro hasn’t kept Debesay down, however. Even though it was a tough decision, he’s optimistic about the future.
In the new year, he’ll most likely return back to being a truck driver, which he did before opening the restaurant. In the future, he may consider opening a small coffee shop, offering authentic African java.
He added that his customers in St. Albert have been “amazing”.
“The people are so supportive, very helpful and very encouraging,” he expressed. “In these two years, I never had any problems with my customers.”
The Saviour’s Café and Bistro space, which is located at 24 Perron Street, is currently under renovations. The deal between Debesay and the new owner hasn’t been finalized as of yet, but Debesay speculates the new restaurant will open early next year.
The block where Saviour's sat downtown is no stranger to food closures. Critical Mass Brewing closed last December after the previous restaurateur allegedly skipped on rent and disappeared. That location is still up for rent.
At the time, Debesay said he was upset about the closure, saying the downtown restaurants work as a family, standing the strongest when everyone grows together.
