Stedman’s V&S closes popular Copper Grill restaurant due to high costs

Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com

GRAVENHURST — The brown booths where many morning coffees were had, events organized and community ideas hatched is no more.

Stedman’s V&S closed the popular Copper Grill restaurant due to costs at the end of July.

But they do still sell self-serve coffee and muffins up by the tills.

However, like Sloans at the other end of the main street decades before, family dining and light lunches aren’t as popular as they once were.

Or as profitable, it seems.

Tara McNaughton, who bought the business in February, with her husband Ian, said it was no longer economically viable.

“I know the ladies loved it, but ….”

She said it doesn’t pay for itself.

Just for example, she said Saturday during a break inside from the summer sidewalk sale out front, the heat system that’s put out by the overhead grill and the resulting air conditioning costs contributed to the restaurant’s high overhead.

She said it had nothing to do with the fire department’s tough regulations or the health unit.

There’s just not much money left over after serving the simple meals the Grille was famous for.

What with rising food costs and higher wages for the three or four women who cooked, cleaned and waited on the customers.

So, said McNaughton, they are going to take the rear seating area booths out first.

And expand the women’s section into that back right corner.

Otherwise, the store is doing well in its first six months — since Curtis and Irene Humber sold it in February — and it will continue to be business as usual.

Tara operates the Stedman’s, while her husband runs their two Home Hardware stores in Gravenhurst and Parry Sound.

But the Grill could no longer sustain itself serving as a “loss leader.”

McNaughton said subsidizing that loss leader was no longer sustainable.

And in business, when it’s not tenable, sometimes it has to go, if sadly.

With it will go decades of town history.

For years customers would be lined up at 7 a.m. when Curtis Humber would open up and put on the first pot of coffee.

Workers would pop in for a quick brew before and chat about the coming day or the day before.

Often early morning meetings would take place for Rotarians or the BIA.

Or community members from one group or the other would meet there during the day.

It was easy to say “I’ll meet you at Stedman’s.”

In between, it was a place to catch up on some gossip, pass on condolences to a friend who lost a loved one. Talk local politics or news of the day.

You’d always find someone you knew, if you were local.

For out-of-towners — including cottagers — in for Stedman’s wool or summer toys, it was a chance for a quick bite.

Someone who called looking for a lunch reservation had to be told it was no longer open.

For a number of steady, regular customers it was at least a weekly pilgrimage to eat something that was more wholesome than fast food or greasy food.

An egg salad sandwich, small bowl of vegetable soup and cup of tea and you wouldn’t feel stuffed or guilty paying $7.99 + tax. Throw in a toonie for the ladies who handed you lunch over the counter wall and everyone was happy.

On the way out the front door you were more than likely to take a detour and pick up the odd sundry item you needed.

Stedman’s was and still is well-regarded for it’s women’s clothing and adult, sensible shoes that last more than one season’s wearing.

Alas, no more. This was possibly the second last Copper Grill in Stedman’s stores.

McNaughton says the same care and attention to service will remain — you’ll just have to come in with a full stomach to be ready to experience the expanded store and products.