Fast-food King headed to Portage

May 21, 2008
Portage Daily Graphic
Written by: Shane Gibson

A Shindico sign stands on the site just west of Boston Pizza, where construction of a Burger King is planned for this summer. Staff photo by Shane Gibson

PORTAGE LA PRAIRIE  — Portagers will get a whopper of a chance to feed their hunger, as plans to open a Burger King restaurant have been finalized.

Shindico Realty Ltd. of Winnipeg has inked a deal with the fast-food chain that should see a restaurant in Portage la Prairie within the year.

"We just most recently concluded arrangements with Burger King, and we will be the developers of the site," explained Robert Shindleman, vice-president of Shindico. "They've recognized that they want to be part of the community, and bring their brand to the people in Portage and area."

Shindleman added Shindico has been working hard at enticing the fast-food giant to bring its flame-broiled hamburgers to Portage.

"I guess we've been discussing things with Burger King for some time, trying to get them to see the merits of opening a store in Portage, and they want to be here," he said. "This most recent round of discussions would have been ongoing for eight months or so."

Cameron Loopstra, spokesman for Burger King Canada, confirmed Burger King will be opening in Portage, and added construction of the new store should happen over the summer.

"We look at opportunities all across Canada, and this site happened to come up and it looked like a good opportunity," said Loopstra. "We certainly think that Portage can support a Burger King, so we're looking forward to coming on board there."

The restaurant will be built in the west end of Portage, on a tract of land owned by Shindico.

"It will be located west of the Boston Pizza, on the pad site, where Dollarama and Sobey's are also close by," explained Shindleman.

Shindleman, who grew up in Portage with his brother and business partner, Sandy, said he is happy to bring businesses like Burger King to this city because they help the community grow.

"It's going to create some new employment for Portage la Prairie and area, it will increase the tax base once again," Shindleman said. "It will once again give folks in the area a reason not to have to travel to get a product or a brand that is currently not available in Portage."

City Coun. Jeff Bereza, chairman of the city's planning and economic development committee, said having Burger King in the city will help Portage attract visitors and keep them coming back.

"When we look at the size of the businesses that have come here over the past little while, it's not surprising that the Burger King people wanted to invest in Portage la Prairie," said Bereza. "Portage is a very diverse community that offers lots of different services to lots of different people from all over the Central Plains area and beyond."

A firm opening date for the Burger King has not been set, but both Shindleman and Loopstra said they expect the restaurant to be open by late fall.

sgibson@cpheraldleader.com