Two years after the closure of the infamous Rideau Street McDonald’s, a new tenant has begun the process of moving in.
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Two years after the closure of the infamous Rideau Street McDonald’s, a new tenant has begun the process of moving in.
Though the windows are still papered over, signs for VIP Seafood Restaurant have gone up at the previously vacant retail space at 99 Rideau St. The location, across the street from the CF Rideau Centre, was home to the fast-food restaurant for nearly 40 years before shutting down in May 2023.
In January 2024, Colliers sales representative Kevin Houlahan told OBJ that an Asian eatery would be taking over the building, but couldn’t provide many details at the time. He described the new occupant as a chef with more than 15 years of experience who is “well-known in the Asian community for his exceptional culinary work in Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa.”
The new business is a partnership between the restaurateur and a group from Toronto, Houlahan said, adding the new tenants signed a 10-year lease at the property.
Houlahan also added in January 2024 that the owners hoped to open the new restaurant this summer.
“The focus will be on fine Chinese/Asian cuisine with a highlight on dim sum and specialty seafood dishes,” he told OBJ last year. The property will be renovated to include a sit-down dining room with an entrance on Rideau Street as well as a takeout window, according to Houlahan.
The move marks a new chapter for the 3,917-square-foot space, which McDonald’s occupied from 1985 to 2023.
The fast-food outlet became notorious for drawing rowdy late-night crowds after last call at nearby bars and restaurants. A video of a person pulling a baby raccoon out of his sweater during a fight at the restaurant in 2013 went viral. The franchise owner eventually shortened the location’s hours.
The arrival of the new restaurant is also another milestone in the ongoing revitalization of Rideau Street, which was hit hard by the pandemic and has seen other setbacks in recent months.
In addition to the McDonald's closure, both Pure Kitchen and Clocktower Brew Pub shuttered their Rideau Street locations recently.
The street will also be impacted by the closure of Hudson’s Bay, which is liquidating all its assets, including its department store on Rideau Street, across from the Rideau Centre. The closure will leave vacant a 31,000-square-foot, five-storey building.
Despite the challenges, there has been some movement that could bring new life to the area.
Clocktower Brew Pub, for example, has already been replaced by A La Istanbul Turkish Cuisine, which opened earlier this spring.
And in February, Live Nation Canada announced more details about its new music and entertainment venue, which will be taking over the former Chapters location at 47-57 Rideau St. Live Nation leased the space from the National Capital Commission last June.
History Ottawa, the 60,000-square-foot venue, will have a capacity of 2,000 people. It’s expected to open its doors in early 2026.
The street will also be a temporary new arrival, as Urban Outfitters prepares to vacate its location at 135 Rideau St.
Up-and-coming Montreal-based furniture retailer Cozey will be leasing the space next door for a pop-up location that will be open from June until the end of next January, the company’s director of marketing, Felix Robitaille, told OBJ on Thursday.
Robitaille said company officials toured various neighbourhoods in the capital and considered leasing space in Westboro, but they ultimately decided Rideau Street was “by far the best location” for the store due to its proximity to light rail as well as major visitor attractions such as the Rideau Centre and the ByWard Market.
