Pony Corral Grant Park will be permanently closing its doors. They’ve had a long run of 28 years, but the restaurant that took over the former Bombay Bicycle Club location in 1997 could not secure improvements on their leased property to continue on. The classic car shows that were held at the property will now move to their owned and operated location on Nairn. They also have a location on Pembina Highway.


For the restaurant-starved residents of River Heights and Fort Rouge, as well as those looking for a bite before or after a movie, live music, or the chance to enjoy classic cars during Sunday Cruise Nights, the Pony Corral was the place to go. The Ginakes family has always been deeply involved in wrestling, classic cars, and live music, and the restaurant has been beloved by people who gathered to eat and enjoy each other’s company.

When the Pony Corral first moved into the corner restaurant, it shared the lot with Zellers, then Walmart, then Zellers again, followed by Target, GoodLife Fitness, and Canadian Tire. It seemed the only consistent presence was the Pony Corral, as the Grant Park Mall went through many changes.


The last major renovation of the restaurant occurred under the Bombay Bicycle Club in 1984, when they expanded and redesigned both the interior and exterior. Before that, it was Barnacle Pete’s, a seafood restaurant. Even back then, the restaurant needed plumbing and sewer work, and apparently, it still does. Today, it is in need of roof repairs.

From 2000 to 2020, Pony Corral operated a restaurant downtown at 444 St. Mary’s Avenue, in a former Keg location. There were plans to build on Donald Street, but COVID-19 put a halt to those plans. Ironically, it is now The Keg that is building a location on Donald Street.

Many people will be sad to see Pony Corral leave the Grant Park area, and there will certainly be concern about how Sunday Cruise Nights will be affected. While Portage Avenue has been the site of car cruising, Grant Park is not too far away, though Pembina or Nairn are farther locations. Given the recent issues with cruising on Portage, however, a change might be beneficial.

The restaurant business has always been tough, and there have been many closures recently. In some cases, rent is too high, restaurants are downsizing, and patrons aren’t going out as late as they did pre-COVID. Even large national chains are not back to full lunch service as they were five years ago.

It is hard to imagine a restaurant that served the community in so many ways beyond just food. Pony Corral will certainly be missed. It will be interesting to see what comes next, as it may take a national chain like Earls or Joey’s to afford that corner.

This has been a guest editorial by John Dobbin.
To read more from John, visit his blog Observations, Reservations, Conversations.