Phil’s Restaurant in Banff has closed its doors after 51 years of business and will be replaced by another restaurant that has been serving authentic Chinese cuisine in the tourist town since 1988.
Local businesswoman Josephine Tsu is moving the Silver Dragon restaurant from her leased space in the 200 block of Banff Avenue to the former Phil’s building at the corner of Mountain Avenue and Spray Avenue that she purchased about a year ago.
Phil’s — famous for its all-day breakfast – has been a mainstay of Banff since opening in 1962 and officially had its last day on Dec. 29. Tsu said she plans to open Silver Dragon there sometime in spring.
“We haven’t set a date yet, but it will be sometime in spring. We’re very excited,” said Tsu. “We have had a lot of support for many years from locals and tourists.”
Randall McKay, the Town of Banff’s planning and development manager, said a building permit has been approved for interior leasehold renovations, including the seating area, kitchen and re-organization of interior space.
“It was exempt from a development permit, given the fact there were no structural renovations being proposed to the building itself,” he said.
“We do anticipate a separate development permit application for minor changes to the exterior of the building, which includes a sign permit as well.”
Located on the third floor of Park Avenue Mall on the 200 block of Banff Avenue, Silver Dragon opened in Banff in 1988. There’s a second location in Chinatown in Calgary. Chefs cook in Cantonese and Szechuan styles.
A spokesperson for Phil’s Restaurant did not get back to the Outlook by press time, but the owner of the chain told CBC that Banff hotels offering free breakfasts made it tough to compete.
