"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit."
That quote by Aristotle seems appropriate when looking at the many local businesses that have made a habit of winning Readers' Choice awards in several categories per year, or for several years in a row.
The most award-winning business in the 2025 Readers' Choice Awards is once again Central Social Hall, with four first-place nods in the categories of Beer Selection (Restaurant/Bar), Chicken Wings, Patio Dining and Best Place to Watch the Game. Add in honourable mentions for Pub/Lounge, Best Burger Place and Best Wine List (Restaurant/Bar) and you’ll see their name seven times in this year’s awards!
Three other businesses were hot on Central’s heels with three first-place awards each. Foodies Kitchen won for Best Catering, Best Dining on a Budget and Best Lunch Spot, Heaven Essence Day Spa won first for Best Massage Therapy Studio, Best Nail Salon and Best Spa/Esthetic Clinic, and Maloney Elkassem won first place for Best Chiropractic Clinic, Best Counsellor/Life Coach and Best Physiotherapy Clinic.
Twelve more businesses won two first-place awards this year, including:
• Canadian Tire (Best Sporting Goods and Best Weekly Deals)
• Costco (Best Gas Station/Convenience Store and Best Grocery/Market)
• Crown & Tower Neighbourhood Pub (Best Chicken Wings and Best Pub/Lounge)
• Cyr Willman Real Estate Group (Best Customer Service Experience and Best Professional Service Experience)
• Dairy Queen Grill & Chill (Best Drive-Thru and Best Ice Cream/Treat)
• Iron Fit Personal Training (Best Fitness/Gym and Best Home-Based Business)
• One Bite Technology (Best Computer/Cell Phone Sales/Repair and Best Electronics Shop)
• Riverbank Bistro (Best Fine Dining and Best Steak House)
• Tandoori Fuzion (Best Asian Cuisine and Best Vegan Cuisine)
• Team Liquor Ltd. (Best Beer Selection and Best Liquor Store)
• The Cajun House (Best Ethnic Restaurant and Best Gluten-Free)
• The Canadian Brewhouse (Best Patio Dining and Best Food Truck)
Long-Time Leaders
Looking back over the past seven years, more than 265 local businesses have been recognized by the readers of the Gazette – but a few stand out for multiple wins.
Topping the list is Costco St. Albert, who have been named top business 16 different times in five different categories.
Now second on the list is Central Social Hall with 13 wins in seven different food and beverage categories.
Tied for third on the all-time list is The Cajun House and Jack’s Burger Shack, with 12 wins apiece, while Heaven Esssence and AMA round out the top five with 10 wins each in the past seven years.
Category Kings
There are eight businesses in all of St. Albert that have run the table for the past seven straight years in a Readers' Choice category. They are:
• Bossio Painting & Decorating (Best Commercial/Residential Painter)
• Costco St. Albert (Best Gas Station)
• DanceCo Ltd. (Best Dance Studio)
• Grandin Bakery (Best Bakery)
• Jack’s Burger Shack (Best Burger Joint)
• Maloney Elkassem Chiropractic (Best Chiropractic Clinic)
• Ron Hodgson Chevrolet Buick GMC (Best Auto Dealer)
• Toast Breakfast and Lunch (Best Breakfast)
Five-Timers Club
Seven more businesses have five-year streaks going in their categories as of this year, including:
• Weary & Co (Best Law Firm)
• Grandin Medical Clinic (Best Medical Clinic)
• Garry’s Heating Services (Best Heating and Cooling)
• Page the Cleaner (Best Dry Cleaning)
• Jiffy Lube (Best Oil Change)
• D’Arcy’s Meat Market (Best Meat/Seafood)
• Lahari Yoga (Best Yoga Studio)
