The Spot in Tisdale. (submitted photo/Karinne Seiferling)

By Ben Tompkins

Local Restaurant Economy

The Spot in Tisdale closing its doors, location in Nipawin staying open

Feb 13, 2023 | 10:09 AM

The Spot in Tisdale is officially closing its doors.

The restaurant has been in the community since June 1, 2019, starting up a few months before the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Originally, things were looking good, and business was great, but we didn’t have really any thoughts of what we were about to experience for the next two and a half years,” Karinne Seiferling, owner of The Spot, said.

According to her, it was that experience that ultimately forced them to make the decision to close down.

“Everything just completely changed and shifted, and the socialism of people has changed,” she said. “We haven’t really seen it come back as much as we would have expected post-pandemic, or once the restrictions were lifted, I think a lot of people just got used to the new lifestyle that they were living.”

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The establishment also has a location in Nipawin, which was the original of the two, opening back in March 2018. While that location also went through the pandemic restrictions and lockdown, Seiferling explained it’s currently thriving.

This begs the question of how local communities are responding to the lasting effects of COVID-19, and whether or not they’re returning to what normal just a few years ago.

For Seiferling, it showed her that despite her two restaurants being in communities close to each other it doesn’t mean they’re going to experience the same thing.

“Definitely two very different towns as far as the eating out industry goes, and that’s kind of what we’ve seen throughout all of this,” she said. “I kind of compare it like when I say that we have a regular in Nipawin, versus when I say we have a regular in Tisdale. A regular in Nipawin we’d see three to four times a week, and a regular in Tisdale we’d see once a week.”

In the beginning, though, this wasn’t as obvious, as Seiferling noted there was a great demand for a restaurant to come to Tisdale, and once it did, it was busy all the time.

She mentioned they were having to turn tables away, as the entire restaurant would be booked up because the people who were originally coming from the Melfort and Tisdale areas to Nipawin, were now choosing the shorter drive.

But, those weekend events, business lunches, family and friend evening get-togethers and everything in between, just doesn’t seem to be happening anymore, at least not as often.

Meanwhile, Seiferling added she feels sorry for those that now need to find another job as only some are transferring to The Spot in Nipawin.

Despite this, she doesn’t regret opening.

“Unfortunately, nobody knew what we were in for, and I guess that’s the way she goes. I don’t regret anything, I don’t blame myself for this happening because I have a lot of confidence in who we are and what we do and what our team is able to do,” she added. “Just got to keep your head high and stay positive.”

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Ben.Tompkins@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter @BenTompkins_8