By Michelle Ramsay
News of an impending closure rocked Lowertown this past month. Thousands of people all across Ottawa hit social media with their opinions on October 27th when CBC Ottawa broke the news that ACE Mercado plans to take over the space occupied by Lowertown icon Mellos Restaurant. It seems that the only parties who had a say in closing down the beloved 73-year-old diner on Dalhousie Street were ACE’s owners and their anonymous landlord who is represented by Domicile Commercial Management.
According to CBC, “Phil Faubert, the owner and operator of Ace Mercado, said his lease has offered the option of taking over the space next door at Mellos since his restaurant opened 18 months ago. He said he made the decision to do so a couple of weeks ago and plans to keep the unique space intact.” Mellos operating manager, Nina Vaccaro, said her landlord “offered Mellos a six-month lease extension in the summer when a previous five-year lease was up. The latest lease ends Dec. 31.”
The news spread rapidly on social media, including 20,000 hits on the owertown Community Association’s Facebook Page. Property manager Domicile did not respond to calls from the media, instead issuing a printed statement on October 29th asserting that public opinion has not swayed its decision to lease the space to neighbouring ACE Mercado.
The latest news is that Mellos is seeking an injunction. Stay tuned.