'Aging dinosaur' Cortina Club stops weekly lunches as cultural clubs struggle

About 170 people enjoyed the final lunch buffet at Kitchener's Cortina Club on Wednesday, March 25, 2015. (Krista Simpson / CTV Kitchener)

Wednesday marked the end of a 20-year tradition in Kitchener, as the Cortina Club served up its last buffet lunch.

“It’s very bittersweet,” club manager Fabio Cipolletti told CTV News.

Approximately 170 people were on hand to enjoy the homemade meat dish, pasta, salad and desserts, which have been a weekly staple on Kevco Place.

At one point, attendance like Wednesday’s was the norm – with the club even hosting as many as 220 diners during the busy Christmas season.

More recently, crowds have fallen off.

Darlene Basse, a former manager, says 80 has been considered a good-sized crowd in recent months.

“There are so many new restaurants in the area … but every week, we have people come in (and say) ‘Oh, I didn’t know you were here,’” she says.

Although the Cortina Club has sold its home, the club itself – which started as a networking tool for Italian immigrants –will stay active, with picnics and other events.

“We’re an aging dinosaur,” Cipolletti said.

“We cannot get the younger generations to come out. They don’t need a club to feel like they belong. They’re already amalgamated into society.”

That challenge isn’t unique to the Cortina Club.

It’s one being experienced by cultural clubs all over the country, as original members die off or age to the point where they can’t volunteer as much as they once did.

Kitchener’s German clubs have the benefit of Oktoberfest, but say filling their halls the rest of the year remains a challenge.

Making things harder is that the facilities themselves are aging, and often in need of significant upkeep.

“Every year … it’s harder and harder to break even,” said Kirk Hanke, vice-president of the Schwaben Club.

Unlike Cortina, Schwaben is attempting to keep its hall as a going concern by offering a Friday night fish-fry tradition and bringing in live music.

The Cortina Club will be turned over to its new owner in mid-April.