Downtown Winnipeg Biz - Business Profiles

BUSINESS PROFILES

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MERCERIE VIMAR We asked Viviana Rosemblit, fashion designer and dressmaker what sets her business apart from the rest. She said, “we like when we can make people fall in love with some of their old clothes again. What makes us so unique is the ability to work with any garment or fabric and customize it to your goals, wants, or desires. Clothes make you feel good, not only look good." More >>
BIOS Architecture We sat down with the two brains behind the business – Desmond Burke & Colin Grover – to hear all about their new face, their place and their space, downtown! More >>
EXCHANGE FITNESS With a 2700 sq ft space including a massage therapy room and a waiting area, they make losing that last ten pounds as easy as 1, 2, 3. Intrigued?! More >>!
GRACE CAFE Find healthy eats, fireplaces and leather couches at Grace Cafe, the new tenant in City Hall’s courtyard. “The world can be a stressful place,” says owner Chris Brunette. “This is a place for people to relax and unwind.” Click here!
VALUE PLUS GUITARS ‘Ask any musician where he or she purchased their first guitar and they will say "THAT GUITAR SHOP . . . . the one with "OVER 200 GUITARS"’ confirms Karen Faber of Value Plus Full Service Guitar Shop. Click here to read on.
SUSHI 101 Feel like washing down a mega sushi craving with some delicious bubble tea? Look no further than Sushi 101. Click here!
VJs DRIVE INN It’s hard to believe that such a small kitchen can fill such big orders. V.J’s Drive Inn has been a well-known and very popular spot to stop for burgers, hot dogs and fries for more than half a century. 2008 marks the 50^th year anniversary of V.J’s, formerly known as Junior’s before 1980. Click Here!
BERNADSKY’S ACADEMY FLORIST Sisters Melanie and Monica Bernadsky have been waking up and smelling the roses for the past 13 years, since they opened their own Academy Florists in Portage Place shopping centre. The sisters took over the Academy Florist that was there before 1995, changed the name and made it their own. Click Here!
MOI BOUTIQUE Hanh Pham is a man who knows the balance between business and fashion. Pham opened his own clothing store, Moi Boutique, in March 2006 on Graham Mall, and has loved being able to offer Winnipeggers clothing trends that are usually exclusive to big cities like Toronto, Vancouver or Montreal. Click Here!
RINKSIDE BAR AND GRILL Newly opened in June of 2008 and located at 350 Portage, Rinkside Bar and Grill is the newest hot spot for lunch, dinner or a place to grab a drink. Being within a block from the MTS Centre, the new bar and grill is the perfect place to hang out before and after an event.
CASA BURRITO Es muy fresco. Spanish to English translation, “It’s very fresh”! I found this out in speaking to Samuel Engelking – one of the owners of the new Mexican inspired joint Casa Burrito on Portage Avenue across from the U of W. And after tasting a delicious Mexican Braised Chicken Burrito with “the usual salsa” I was convinced; they’ve got a good thing going on there.
HOSTELING INTERNATIONAL To help all, especially the young, gain a greater understanding of peoples, places and cultures through hostelling." Sarah Albanese, Operations Manager for the new Hostelling International (HI) location on Kennedy Street, references of the HI mission statement.
LA COLLECTION If anyone knows the stress of planning a wedding, it is L.A Collection owner Vu Luong. That’s why he has simplified the process by creating a one-stop wedding shop. Luong partnered with other wedding services in the city so customers can order invitations, party favours, flowers, cakes, photography and even wedding licenses all under one roof. But his focus remains on dresses.
H'ATTITUDE Joanne Hunter has a profession that you don’t hear of too often anymore. She is a milliner-a hat maker- and an entrepreneur. Hunter owns H’Attitude in Portage Place, a store dedicated to hats of all styles, colours and materials. She sells hats fit for any occasion, including weddings, and if she doesn’t have what you are looking for, she will custom make it.
ONEXT MEDIA It’s called “narrowcasting”, and digital “out-of-home advertainment”, and it’s available in 10 locations in the downtown, thanks to ONEXT Media. ONEXT Media operates Canada’s leading digital narrowcasting network with franchise operations from Vancouver to Halifax. The Winnipeg network was launched in 2008 by Manitoba franchise owners, Jeff and Anna Echols.