Saskatoon’s Ayden Kitchen and Bar, Sticks and Stones to close

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A high-profile Saskatoon restaurant will be closing its doors in the next few weeks.

Ayden Kitchen and Bar, started by Top Chef Canada winner Dale MacKay, will be closing in July.

“We're very proud of what we've done,” MacKay told CTV News “but we feel it's not something we want to move. It's very rare that a restaurant being moved to another location is successful.”

“It's sad to see it go obviously, it's named after my son and it's very, very special. And I think and hope that we made a very big impact in the food industry in Saskatoon with Ayden,” MacKay said.

“So many great staff members have come through there and guests and celebrations and weddings so, it really is a special place. It is going be hard to say goodbye, but we don't look at it as negative we look at it as a positive and we're celebrating 10 years.”

MacKay said the reason for the restaurant's closure was lease-related.

Another MacKay-affiliated Grassroots Restaurant Group eatery will also close this summer, Sticks and Stones.

The downtown restaurant focused on Japanese and Korean cuisine will be closing on June 24.

MacKay said they have plans to do something new in the space.

“We want to shift our focus on doing things that we love and the food that we love,” he said. “We do love what we've done at Sticks and Stones, but we want to bring new life into the space and into what we're doing and we're excited to try something new.”

MacKay said the decision to close the restaurants was not a result of inflation or economics.

“We're not being forced into anything. It's a choice our group is making.”