Celebrate all of the new businesses that opened in 2022 through New Business Week! We are holding our annual New Business Week initiative from March 6th-13th, 2023 right here in the West End. We are excited to share that in 2022, the West End saw 56 NEW businesses open their doors. To learn more about a few of these new businesses, keep reading! From new restaurants to delicious donuts and everything in between, we are thrilled to have so many new businesses in the neighbourhood for you to check out.
You can also enter the chance to win an amazing giveaway worth $100 by visiting any of the participating businesses and entering our giveaway. Each participating business has a draw box where you can enter your name for a chance to win! No purchase is necessary, for full contest details, please click here.
Participating businesses:
Umaido Donuts – 555 Balmoral St.
Mae Sunee Thai Cuisine – 1390 Erin St.
Chatime – 990 Portage Avenue
The Candy Shop – 555 Sargent Avenue
Businesses that opened in 2022
1-800-Got-Junk – Unit D 1079 Wellington Ave
Acupuncture College of Manitoba Clinic – 1112 Notre Dame Ave
Ankang Acupuncture Healing Centre – U1 724 Ellice Ave
A-One Fastfood & Grocery Mart – 643 Portage Ave
Balance Jiu Jitsu – 6 -1000 Notre Dame Ave
Banh Mi Mr. Lee – 843 Ellice Ave
Bee Wow Convenience – 619 Portage Ave
Born Wild Tattoo – 1416 Erin St
Candy Shop – 555 Sargent Ave
Carlo’s Hair & Makeup Studio – 871 Sargent Ave
Chatime – 990 Portage Ave
City Home Builders/ The City Team Constructions Inc – 1351 Notre Dame Ave
Colour Scheme Professional Painters A – 1492 Wall St
Community Respite Service C – 1155 Notre Dame Ave
Compassionate Care – 831 Sargent Ave
Emy’s Shop – 692 Sargent Ave
Enlightened Electric – 1410 Erin St
Galaxy Home Cleaning Services Ltd – 10, 1079 Wellington Ave
Gen X Auto Sales – 808 Erin St
Go Fresh Hospitality Inc – 376 Furby St
Heather’s Pretty Parties – 646 Erin St
J Lamm Accountant – U1 A 1368 Spruce St
Jamora Travel & Tours – U1 884 Sargent Ave
JB Plumbing + Heating/ Diamond Ridge Investments – 1408 Erin St
Jollof Life Restaurant – 1, 600 Portage Ave
Kkiko’s Grill – 1060 Ellice Ave
LBC Mundial Cargo Corporation – U2, 884 Sargent Ave
Link Right Talent -1, 548 Home St.
Mae Sunee Thai Cuisine – 1390 Erin St.
Main Focus Massage Therapy -202, 942 Erin St.
Mesidor Canadian Immigration Services – 873 Notre Dame Ave.
My Rent A Dress – U1 942 Erin St.
Oak & Apple C – 873 Notre Dame Ave.
Once in a Lifetime Painting – 937 Portage Ave
PeaceWorks Technology Solutions – 101 960 Portage Ave
Philman Cargo Express – U3 884 Sargent Ave
PPG Aerospace Canada Inc – 613 Erin St.
Prairie Medical Acupuncture Clinic – 7thFlr 790 Sherbrook St.
Progressive Legal Solutions LLP – 768 Notre Dame Ave
Rehabilitation Centre for Children – B 1155 Notre Dame Ave
Rimyya Friendship Bar and Restaurant – 529 Ellice Ave
Scooterdoc – 1394 Erin St
Shape It Autobody – 999 Erin St
Silex Fiberglass Windows and Doors – 1450 Wall St.
Simon Barber – 526 Sargent Ave
Super Fun Beverage Company – U1 595 Wall St.
The Abby – 955 Portage Ave
The Crispy Wing – 975 Notre Dame Ave
The Glob Mob (Formerly The Peacesign) – 102, 904 Portage Ave
Travelodge by Wyndham – 1400 Notre Dame Ave
Valdek Construction – 1354 Spruce St
Velocity Vehicle Solutions -1410 Spruce St.
White Pine Bicycle Co. – 1366 Spruce St.
ZR Home Solutions Inc -970 Sargent Ave
Mae Sunee Thai Cuisine: A New Thai Restaurant in Winnipeg’s West End located at 1390 Erin St.
Looking for an authentic Thai cuisine experience in Winnipeg’s West End? Look no further than Mae Sunee Thai Cuisine, a new restaurant that opened in September 2022. The restaurant is the dream of Pae Inthon, who came to Canada from Thailand in 2005. Her family already owns a restaurant in Winnipeg, but Inthon wanted to strike out on her own and create something truly special.
What sets Mae Sunee Thai Cuisine apart from other Thai restaurants in Winnipeg is its commitment to using fresh, high-quality ingredients. Inthon learned her passion for cooking from her mother and aunt in Bangkok, and she’s brought that same attention to detail to her restaurant’s menu. When coming up with the menu, Inthon thought first about her favourite dishes and then added comfort foods and special dishes to change things up. Pad Krapow, a classic comfort Thai dish, is a must-try on the menu.
Pae knows the West End well, as she and her family live in the area. They’re committed to supporting the local community, which is one reason they chose to open their restaurant in this location. The West End is home to many different neighbourhoods and lots of workers looking for a good lunch spot. Mae Sunee Thai Cuisine offers a lunch special to cater to this crowd.
As the weather warms up, Inthon is excited to open the restaurant’s patio and welcome more people to Mae Sunee Thai Cuisine. With its dedication to fresh ingredients, authentic Thai cuisine, and commitment to the local community, Mae Sunee Thai Cuisine is sure to be a hit in Winnipeg’s West End.
If you’re looking for a new dining experience, be sure to check out Mae Sunee Thai Cuisine. You won’t be disappointed!
Umaido Donuts: Winnipeg’s Newest Café Experience located at 555 Balmoral Street.
If you’re looking for a unique and delicious treat in Winnipeg, look no further than Umaido Donuts. Located in the heart of the city, this café offers an incredible selection of mochi donuts, specialty drinks, and a cozy atmosphere perfect for hanging out with friends.
Co-owner Jon Hoang was inspired to bring mochi donuts to Winnipeg after trying them in Vancouver. But what exactly are mochi donuts, and how do they differ from traditional donuts? Mochi donuts are a type of donut that originated in Japan and are made with rice flour. This gives the donuts a chewy texture that is quite different from traditional donuts. At Umaido Donuts, they take a different approach to serving their donuts. They don’t pre-make them. Instead, all of their donuts are made-to-order, ensuring the best possible texture and freshness in every batch and you can watch them being decorated right in front of your eyes.
Last September, Umaido Donuts had a soft launch, followed by a grand opening in October. To their surprise, the response was overwhelming – there was a line-up around the block!
The name “Umaido” has an interesting origin. “Umai” is a Japanese word for “yummy,” and “do” means donut. Thus, Umaido means “yummy donuts” in Japanese, pronounced as “ooh my dough.” And that’s exactly what you’ll find at this cozy café – yummy, unique, and fresh mochi donuts that will leave your taste buds wanting more.
The vision for the space was to take elements from Japanese architecture and bring them into the store aesthetic while tying in their brand. The result is a cozy and inviting atmosphere with plenty of seating. Umaido Donuts is a great spot for students nearby to come hang out and for folks to meet up.
The donut menu rotates every two weeks, so there is always something new and exciting to try. Umaido Donuts offers more adventurous flavours like pizza and furikake donuts, along with their classic flavours. They also serve some unique drinks, such as panna cotta and Ade drinks, with matcha, strawberry, and Vietnamese coffee flavours.
One thing that Jon Hoang mentioned was how supportive the community has been since opening. People are always asking how business is going and helping spread the word. It seems like folks really want the business to succeed, and we can see why!
Umaido Donuts is a must-visit for anyone in Winnipeg looking for a unique café experience. You can find them at 555 Balmoral Street or order for delivery on Skip the Dishes and Door Dash. Make sure to follow them on social media for updates on new flavours and specials.
Instagram: www.instagram.com/umaidodonuts/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@umaidonuts
Chatime, 990 Portage Avenue
If you are a bubble tea lover or you have always wanted to try bubble tea, head over to Chatime at 990 Portage Avenue. Owner Benjamin Xian opened Chatime on Portage Avenue back in August and it has quickly become the go-to bubble tea spot for folks in the area. Chatime is a Taiwanese bubble tea franchise that started in 2005 and now has locations worldwide, including five locations right here in Winnipeg.
Chatime has become known for their delicious flavours and tasty boba. If you have tried bubble tea before, then you know the fun and tasty flavour and texture the boba or tapioca pearls adds to your drink. Boba is made from tapioca starch and is then formed and cooked to become a sweet and chewable addition to the drink. When visiting Chatime, you can also try their brown sugar boba which is a very popular item. Right now, Chatime has a special cream cheese bubble tea that you will definitely want to try! To learn more about Chatime and their specials, like their $3.99 daily specials, you can follow them on Instagram @chatimeportage.
Cobra Collectibles: More Than a Nostalgic Shop, 555 Sargent Avenue
Cobra Collectibles is a treasure trove of all things nostalgic. Located in the West End of Winnipeg for the last 8 years, the shop offers childhood classics, new and used toys, comics, games, and much more from the 70s, 80s, and 90s. But, as we found out, there’s more to this shop than meets the eye.
During the pandemic, the shop had to close completely, but instead of just waiting for the situation to improve, the staff found an opportunity to start pursuing their own small businesses. Being a family-run business, the owners wanted to help others pursue their own adventures too. And thus, the idea of creating a space for entrepreneurs to start their own businesses was born.
The first one to pursue this opportunity was Kailyn Gregorash, the Manager and Co-owner of Cobra Collectibles. In 2020, she started Ravens Art Book, selling anything art-related, including collections, paintings, murals, and graphic design pieces. She has studio space in the basement of Cobra Collectibles where she works on her art and sells it right in the store.
In 2021, Nook Repairs started offering repairs for electronics, older games, and consoles. They were able to offer curbside service while restrictions were still in place. Gregorash explained that many of these older games and consoles can often last a lifetime by repairing them rather than throwing them out they are able to give them a new life. Nook Repairs has built up quite an inventory of old pieces and wires that might be the right fix. There isn’t anything they won’t try fixing!
But that’s not all, located inside Cobra Collectibles is ‘The Candy Store,’ which opened in 2022. The candy store features international candies that you can’t find anywhere else, including candies from Germany, the UK, USA, and beyond. People from the neighborhood come in to grab a treat and look forward to trying something new. Recently, they have been seeing more folks from across the city come in to see the unique candy options they have.
Krystals Kreations, located inside the shop, creates handmade wearable items like tuques, mitts, scarves, and trinkets. And lastly, there is Bits + Bops, which offers craft supplies and hobby-making items.
Cobra Collectibles is more than just a nostalgic shop; it’s home for a lot of people that work there and for regular customers who just enjoy coming in. It has become a part of people’s routine to stop in and say hi. For some people, it’s a place to escape and feel peace from the outside world. You’re transported back to so many familiar games and toys that you know so well.
Being at this location for 8 years, they have become really close with other nearby businesses and are excited to hold lots of fun events this summer. Cobra Collectibles has created a space for other entrepreneurs to start their businesses, and it’s incredible to see how much it has grown into a community of its own. It’s a great example of how businesses can work together to help each other succeed.
New Business Week runs from March 6-13th, 2023!