Station Place serves up final brunch ahead of closure

It’s the end of an era in Saskatoon this week.

After serving food for 35 years, the Saskatoon Station Place will clean up its last plate on Thursday.

Customers lined up around the block on Sunday for the fine diner’s final Sunday brunch.

Co-owner Stavros Arvanatis looked at the non-stop crowds flowing into the building with added appreciation as they signified the final week of his working life.

“It is kind of sad in a way,” he said, looking back on the many businesses he began with his three brothers. “We’ve been at it for over a half-century, and we were expecting to be a little bit busier, but this has been a lot more overwhelming than we expected.”

The Saskatoon Station Place features a variety of antique decoration and rail car-themed dining areas. (Keenan Sorokan/650 CKOM)

Arvanatis admitted wishing he could stay open another two months since so many people were stopping in for one final visit.

Linda Ulsifer came to the Station Place every time there was something significant to celebrate over the last 25 years.

“We came here when we finished paying off our mortgage, we came here for retirement parties, big birthdays parties, all kinds of stuff like that,” she said. “So, it’s more of a special occasion kind of a restaurant.”

Arvanatis is thankful that people think of his restaurant when special occasions arise, but to him, it’s the antiques filling the dining room that are truly special.

“I was here for about two years to put the building together, and before that, we had more than 10 years to collect the antiques we have with an antique dealer in Toronto,” Arvanatis said.

A mirror in the main dining room was made in Italy in the 1700s, while many of the benches in the lounge car are made completely out of solid brass and were taken from old railcars before they were destroyed.

The mirror seen in the main dining area dates back to the 1700s.

“When this poor Greek (Arvanatis) immigrated in this country more than half a century ago, I could never sit there because I was a minority,” Arvanatis said.

Over the years, celebrities like Bryan Adams and Garth Brooks joined thousands of tourists to come see the unique restaurant made up of old railcars — an ode to the Saskatoon Station Place occupying the former railway station at 221 Idylwyld Dr. N.

The favourite meal for customers has been the special since the Arvanatises opened the building. The Pullman’s Platter, a large dish that serves up a variety of Greek delicacies, is expected to keep the crowds coming in during the final week of operations.

With no upcoming trips on the horizon, Arvanatis said the toughest part about waking up as a retired man on Friday will be stopping himself from going to the restaurant.

“I love people to begin with, and through the years we met a lot of people, which means a lot to us,” Arvanatis said. “Thank you to everyone who supported us for all those years. What more pleasure and happiness (can I ask for)? We walk out of here with our heads up with pride.”

The Old Spaghetti Factory will soon be taking over the location, but Arvanatis said the decision to sell came with the agreement that the antiques won’t go anywhere.