Marisol Restaurant in Kitchener closes for good

Marisol Restaurant will close its doors for good on Friday nightafter afour-year run in downtown Kitchener.

"It was simply a financial decision. We weren't having enough sales, not enough people coming through the door for it to make financial sense," said Jeff Ward, owner, operator, and chef of the fine dining restaurant.

I feel there's a lot of people in the KW area who are reluctant to go downtown or don't think of going downtown for a dining experience.- Jeff Ward, owner, operator, and chef, Marisol Restaurant

"I felt we had a great product and everyone who came in enjoyed themselves and had a great food experience, but because it wasn't busy enough, the atmosphere was lacking. Even if you have the best meal of your life, [if] the atmosphere isn't there, it's not a complete evening."

Wardsaid business started out well when it openedin August 2011.In the first year and a half, the 50-seat capacity restaurant was serving35 to 40 people a night, but thatnumber has dwindled down to 20 people a night on a good day and six on a bad day over the last year.

"I do think location was part of it. I feel there's a lot of people in the KW area who are reluctant to go downtown or don't think of going downtown for a dining experience," said Ward.

"Hopefully that will continue to change with other restaurants opening and getting more exposure and losing that stigma of downtown Kitchener not being so friendly...There's a stigma of a bad crowd, which I do agree, there's a lot of people loitering downtown, [but]whether they're dangerous or not, I don't believe so.

"That culture needs to change," saidWard, addingsaid downtown Kitchenernightlife has a lot to offer.

"There's TheMuseum, there's Centre in the Square, there's the symphony, there's the Apollo Theatre. There's tons of draws for nightlife and dining."

Ward added that people complainabout the lack of parking in downtownKitchener, which he says is "utter nonsense."

"There's parking, maybe not free parking, but there's still tons of parking," said Ward.

Ward, whose resume includes stints as sous chef at prominent Toronto restaurants like Canoe and Auberge de Pommier, said he'll be starting a new chef job at a downtown restaurant soon, though he did not disclose where.