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The restaurant business must be a very tough place to be in. I recently read that only just over 40% breaks even or even loses money currently.
Three in four Canadians are eating out less, often because of the high cost of living, a Restaurants Canada report published Monday found. That share is even higher among those aged 18 to 34 at 81 per cent. Restaurant spending has slowed compared with pre-pandemic levels. As fewer people dine in, sales of alcohol at restaurants have also slowed because of rising menu prices and a consumer shift toward wellness, the report found. Forty-one per cent of Canadians surveyed said their alcohol consumption has decreased over the past year. The report showed 41 per cent of businesses were operating at a loss or breaking even as of June 2025.
Source: Canadian Press/CTV September 22, 2025
It makes it all the more surprising that people still want to start a restaurant or take out. We saw several new food places opening on Merivale in 2025 though and unfortunately also several closing. Plus one restaurant that moved as there are plans to knock down their building and replace it with two mid size towers. Let’s have a look.
Skewer Mania
Momo on 1445 Merivale Rd didn’t last long unfortunately, and Skewer Mania moved in. The place is somewhat hard to find: it is right north of the Merivale Market, in a small newish strip mall on the corner with Burris Lane, across from A & T and Loblaws. Here is a review by Ralf Joneikies/Ottawa Lookout/Capital Eats. Peter Hum in the Citizen writes: “In a lateral move, I’m giving the nod to the charcoal-grilled, superbly seasoned, highly affordable skewers of pork, chicken, lamb and beef that I had this fall at Skewer Mania, a modest Northeastern Chinese eatery tucked away in a Merivale Road strip mall.“
Gwalia Indian Sweets and Restaurant
Gwalia finally opened somewhere in March 2025 from what I remember. There have been many restaurants here in the same building as Loblaws on Merivale and Baseline since we are living in this area, and this is the first Indian one that moved in. Gwalia has six franchises in Canada and two in the US. All food is non meat according to Gwalia.
Merivale Noodle House
After many years, Colonnade Pizza surprisingly moved away from the Merivale Market in the mall that has Food Basics as its anchor. More or less the next month Merivale Noodle House (Vietnamese Pho) moved in from their location on Merivale Road already.
The mall owner on 1509 Merivale (where the Noodle House used to be) is planning to knock down the one storey building and build two housing towers instead. The Noodle House decided to move now the Colonnade Pizza location became available. I have heard there will be two 9 story buildings on 1509 Merivale but also that that it might go higher. The latest documents are from 2023 and the file is pending since.
Meet Noodle No. 2
Across the Street next to the Merivale Fish Market, Meet Noodle No.2 (Lan Zhou hand pulled noodles) moved in, after the previous restaurant, Joe’s Pizza & Subs moved out after a fire. My neighbour was positive about it and liked the hand pulled noodles, made on the spot.
Masala Meats & Grill
MunCheese added ‘The Greek Flame & Pizza’ to their name last year, but it didn’t help. Now Masala Meats & Grill has moved in. The windows are covered with film, which I personally don’t feel inviting at all and stops me from going to such places. I like to see into a restaurant. Parking is tight in front of the store but there is tons of parking in the back but you’ll have to walk 50 meters.
BB Café
Where Merivale and Clyde meet you’ll find the Bleeker Mall. Dutch food afficionados (stroopwafels, hagelslag, speculaas, dropjes, cheese) will know the Dutch Store in that mall. Pretty much next door, Puralator moved out and BB Cafe (BB stands for Bake Boutique) moved in. It has Persian roots and they are getting very good reviews. BB Cafe has already several cafés in the GTA since 2013. During a recent evening power outage at home at 9:30 pm, we thought we could stay warm at BB Cafe, but we were too late. They just closed for the day and a person was scrubbing the floors. This week I walked by on a Tuesday afternoon and it was full.
Robin’s Café no longer on Merivale
Further south on Merivale, Robin’s is already gone after one year and it looks like it is replaced by a bed store called Dormez-Vous? (the question mark is part of the name). I had never heard of the chain, but it already has 15 locations in Ottawa-Gatineau.
Indian Take Out Karara gone, Tokyo Crispy moved in
In the corner, somewhat hidden by the SleepCountry store, was Karara Take Out for years, but I found a new restaurant in that corner called Tokyo Crispy. Reading up about it, Katsu (cutlet in breadcrumbs and fried) is the thing there. I thought the description sounded like Wiener Schnitzl (Viennese cutlet) and indeed, the roots of Katsu lie in 19th century Europe.
Kardish gone
After probably about a decade on Merivale, Kardish Health Food Centre has closed. I had a sense this was going to happen as the shelves had been stocked to an absolute minimum recently. When I ordered yogurt starter and I was informed “it might take weeks”, I figured the writing was on the wall. It was.
This year’s map
At some time in history William Wilfred Campbell (1860-1918) wrote a poem about Merivale Road and then some else wrote a parody on it. You should read it. I have mapped all places on the map so that you can see for yourself where all those places are. I biked around just before the first snow came to check who is new and who is gone and took some snow free pictures. Here’s the update for 2026.
We can definitely see the changes in Ottawa’s food scene happening on Merivale Road too. More Asian, less traditional European and Canadian fare. More Pho, less Brussels sprouts. I hope you find it useful. Let me know.
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Previous Merivale Food Maps
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2026 Merivale Road Food Map
Reading Time: 5 minutesJust before the snow came, I cycled all the parking lots on Merivale Road in Central Nepean in #Ottawa to check which food places are new and which ones have gone. I am actually not much of a diner myself, so I refrain from trying their food. I leave that to those with a more refined taste. Here is the 2026 version with images of all store fronts (not inspiring unfortunately, car is king)
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2025 Merivale Road Food Map
Reading Time: 5 minutesHere is the annual overview of the Merivale Food scene, already in its third year. More Indian food, more grocery stores and a few name changes. Check out the map with all the possible places to eat or take out food on the stretch of Merivale Road, Clyde and a bit of Baseline.
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2024 Merivale Road Food Map
Reading Time: 5 minutesThis is the second year I am posting a Merivale Rd Food map. The 2024 Merivale Food map shows all food outlets on a stretch of Merivale Road, and the post describes who left and who started.
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Food Map of Merivale Road in Ottawa’s NeMa district in 2023
Reading Time: 4 minutesWhen Matt and I walked on Merivale Road in Ottawa last year I saw a number of restaurants I had never noticed before. After doing some research I thought I’d create a fun map of the area with a new name that is a nod to SoHo and Tribeca.
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