The neon lights still glow at Rockin’ Johnny’s, where the smell of sizzling bacon and fresh coffee fills the air. The old-school diner with its checkered floors and wall decor of a 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air has been welcoming customers to an era past for over 30 years.
Unlike the mall which has been a wasteland of shuttered storefronts for the last couple of years, the restaurant has been able to keep busy. Even during the lull of a late Tuesday afternoon, new customers and longtime regulars like Kim Gagnon populate the 1950s-style pleather booths.
While some new customers read over the menu for the first time, Gagnon and her son Matthew order colas from a waitress who knows them by name. That’s because, according to Gagnon, they’ve come to this Rockin’ Johnny’s at least once every week for the past 14 years.
But the Gagnons’ weekly visits will have to end by October 31 when Rockin’ Johnny’s Diner, like all other tenants, will need to vacate. The mall is finally being torn down to make way for a scaled down residential development. RioCan, which owns the site, says they plan to build a new grocery store attached to the current Shopper’s Drug Mart which will stay. Phase 2 will most likely include the construction of two 36-storey towers to the north of the recently-constructed apartment building. However, the timeline for that is not clear at this time.
“We’re heartbroken,” Gagnon said. “This is the closest restaurant in the area, and we know the people, we’ve known them for years, so it’s hard to say goodbye to the people, let alone the restaurant. We wish they would open someplace closer.”
The two are certainly familiar faces to Anthony Joseph, who bought the location in 2005. He is starting to worry as the popular diner looks to find a new home.
“I know most of the customers,” Joseph said. “And the other thing, I’m losing my job too until we find another location.”
The same goes for the restaurant’s employees, a few of whom have worked at Rockin’ Johnny’s for well over a decade, according to Joseph. That’s partly why franchise owner Enzo Mastromattei said that finding a new place nearby is exactly the plan.
“We’re trying to find somewhere to reopen in the neighbourhood,” Mastromattei said.
But it hasn’t been easy, and answers have not been concrete. Mastromattei said that although there have been a few possible leads so far, they haven’t landed on a location and are still waiting for responses from landlords.
“If I had an answer now, I would tell you, but we don’t know 100 per cent,” Mastromattei said. “But we’re looking and getting close to it.”
It’s an unusual situation for such a popular diner to find themselves in. Since Mastromattei opened the first location here at Westgate in 1991, it’s become a staple in the community. In fact, Mastromattei said the diner had leased the Westgate location until 2029.
A Rockin’ Johnny’s location in Kanata might provide a bit of consolation for any customers dedicated enough to drive down the Queensway for a similar experience, but it’s little solace for the regulars here at Westgate who keep coming back, not for the brand but for the people.
“I know that there’s other Rockin’ Johnny’s restaurants, but I mean it’s not the same. It’s not this one,” Gagnon said.
The owners of Rockin Johnny’s inside Westgate said they intend to reopen in the neighbourhood, but are still searching for suitable space.
Photo by Keito Newman.