A beloved Nanaimo restaurant known for its comfort food and hospitality is preparing to serve its final meal. MGM Restaurant on Nichol Street in downtown Nanaimo will close its doors Sunday, Oct. 11. The family run restaurant was opened by Helen and Tony Samaroo in 1984 after the couple immigrated to Canada. The restaurant was named after the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, which the couple visited when they first came to Canada. “They went to the MGM Grand and they saw a 747 inside and it just stuck in their mind,” said their daughter, Tricia Samaroo, the restaurant’s operations manager. The Samaroo family has spent decades building MGM into a place where customers could enjoy a familiar meal and friendly service. Now, the family says it is time to move in a different direction. “Our family’s getting older, dad passed away, and mom’s getting a bit older,” said Tricia. The announcement has come as a shock to longtime customers, many of whom have been coming to MGM for years. “They’re sad, but they’re also really thankful for the time that they got to have here. A lot of people grew up here,” said Tricia. The Samaroo family estimates the restaurant has employed more than 1,000 people in Nanaimo since it opened. While MGM is closing, the family says it plans to remain involved in the community. “We haven’t exactly got our heads wrapped around what it is, but we definitely are always here to serve the community,” said Tricia. A sign outside the restaurant offers a farewell to the customers who helped make MGM part of Nanaimo’s story. For the Samaroo family, closing the restaurant marks the end of one chapter, but the memories made around its tables will remain part of the community they have served for generations.
