The brunch scene Victoria is famous for will soon look a lot less pink.
FloydB次元官网网址檚 Diner at 866 Yates St. is shutting its doors on Jan. 1, 2019 after 15 years in business.
B次元官网网址淲e couldnB次元官网网址檛 get a decent lease,B次元官网网址� said owner Petr Prusa. B次元官网网址淭he biggest part of it is weB次元官网网址檝e wanted to put money into it, and committed $150,000 on renovations, but only if we could get a long-term lease again.B次元官网网址�
The landlord offered a five-year lease but added a demolition clause that could evict FloydB次元官网网址檚 with three-monthsB次元官网网址� notice.
B次元官网网址淧lus all rents have gone up in town; our rent at Yates is around $12,000 a month,B次元官网网址� Prusa said. B次元官网网址淵ou gotta sell a lot of eggs for that.B次元官网网址�
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The famous retro diner features dishes like B次元官网网址淭he Mahoney,B次元官网网址� where patrons can risk a double-or-nothing bill on a coin toss, and a fully array of eggs BenedictB次元官网网址檚, hashes, and omelettes.
FloydB次元官网网址檚 began with the Cup of Joe Cafe in James Bay in 1997, then to a 10-seat cafe called Flying FloydB次元官网网址檚 on Esquimalt Road.
The namesake and original logo B次元官网网址� a flying super pig with a cape and a cup of coffee B次元官网网址� was inspired by a cafe in Amsterdam called The Flying Pig, which had a pig named Floyd.
Prusa originally spotted the Yates Street location when it was a different, struggling restaurant. After several conversations, he was able to convince the other owner to sell to him. FloydB次元官网网址檚 Diner opened in 2004.
B次元官网网址淲e were hoping to open it quietly because we had a lot of work to do in that place, but we literally opened the doors and there was a lineup,B次元官网网址� Prusa said. B次元官网网址淚 think our first day cost us $3,000 in promoB次元官网网址檚 because people were waiting an hour-and-a-half because all the toasters were blowing breakers and the equipment didnB次元官网网址檛 work. But, they kept coming back.B次元官网网址�
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Since then, Prusa rolled with the inspiration from rock stars and idols the name B次元官网网址淔loydB次元官网网址� could bring and even painted the building in homage to Pink Floyd.
The unique restaurant has drawn in loyal patrons and staff ever since, until a sign went up last week, and staff were told they had to be let go.
B次元官网网址淭he biggest shame is that the staff is like family,B次元官网网址� Prusa said, adding that some have been there the whole time. B次元官网网址淚t pains me that we have to shut the doors down. It hurts my soul.B次元官网网址�
Prusa said the two other FloydB次元官网网址檚 locations in Langford and James Bay are considerably smaller, but could hopefully absorb some of the staff.
While shutting down the famous location is sad, it doesnB次元官网网址檛 mark the end for FloydB次元官网网址檚. A new location is under negotiation, with a possibility of opening a block away as soon as February.
If that plan falls through, Prusa has another location in mind that could open as soon as April.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 the end of an era there, thatB次元官网网址檚 where everything started,B次元官网网址� Prusa said. B次元官网网址淏ut look for us in another location in the new year. Thank you to Victoria for all of their patronage for all these years.B次元官网网址�
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