Three Cochrane restaurants, all part of the Canadian Italian Restaurant Group (CIRG), will close their doors on March 1.
The Stump Tavern, PZA Parlor Cochrane, and Blacksmith Pub will no longer be serving locals in Cochrane after that date, after the CIRG announced some of their entities were under-performing and could no longer sustain themselves in town.
"While not all our entities in Cochrane were under-performing, the economics no longer work to sustain these businesses in your beloved town," the post read.
"We appreciate all the support we have received from our regular customers over the years. We regret that we must close our doors and say goodbye to our loyal patrons."
Trish Phillips, part of the CIRG and the general operations manager for The Stump Tavern, said she started off as a server at the Fireside-based pub and worked her way up to her current position.
Working through the COVID-19 pandemic proved to be difficult for the restaurant to remain economically viable, according to Phillips. Rent increases, she added, complicated matters further.
“We had to close and reopen, half-open, ask people for [vaccine] passports... I mean every business had the same economic crisis,” Phillips said. “We were just starting to swim out of that and then with the excruciating costs for commercial rental space here, it’s atrocious. It’s almost $10 more in Cochrane [per square foot] than what it is in Calgary.”
The Stump Tavern and PZA Parlour (both in Fireside) have operated in Cochrane for four years each, while the Blacksmith Pub opened its doors in the Sunset neighbourhood just prior to the pandemic.
After the CIRG posted on social media that the restaurants will be closing next week, Phillips said many customers who frequent her restaurant left supportive messages.
“We have had a lot of loyal customers that have seen our ups and downs, challenges, and all of those things,” Phillips said, adding it is sad to leave those customers behind.
“It’s unfortunate, but we’re very thankful to have the memories with those people...we are very gracious of the community of Cochrane as a whole.”
She added the owner of CIRG was devastated to have to close the three businesses after originally trying to save the locations.
For Phillips, she can only share one thought about the entire situation.
“It sucks,” she said bluntly. “It does, and that’s the only words I have right now."
Phillips thanked the community for their continued support through difficult times over the pandemic.
Although she may not know what such a scenario would look like, she also hopes to see a cap on commercial rental spaces in Cochrane in the future.
“A lot of people are questioning whether or not it is sustainable for small businesses – and it’s easy for the big guys to come in with all the money – but it’s the smaller people who are trying to feed their family that are struggling,” Phillips said. “I don’t know if anything can be done, but moving forward, it would be great if something can happen for these small business to survive.”
The CIRG's social media post concluded by stating the group will continue to operate the Cochrane Baking Company alongside their Calgary-based restaurants, which include PZA Parlour (off Macleod Trail), Toto Pizza, Villa Firenze, and New Camp.
