Dec. 28 will be the final day for Hudson's Pub in at the corner of Ross Street and 49 Avenue. (rdnewsNOW/Troy Gillard)

By Sheldon Spackman and Troy Gillard

Final day Dec. 28

Hudsons Canada’s Pub closing Red Deer location

Dec 17, 2019 | 5:34 PM

Hudsons Canada’s Pub is closing its doors in Red Deer.

The bar at the corner of Ross Street and 49 Avenue will serve its final food and pints on Dec. 28.

Lloyd Strickland, general manager for Hudsons’ Red Deer location, cites the poor economy as a reason for closing, but also their location.

“It’s tough with the parking situation, and it’s tough with how downtown can be a little bit rougher at night. I think it just deters people from coming down here after 5 o’clock on weekdays and come weekends,” he says.

“We’re (also) kind of on an island here with not a lot of other businesses in the same industry as us that draw a lot of attention.”

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Strickland feels there’s more The City of Red Deer can do to make downtown attractive to food and beverage businesses.

“They do a fantastic job with the social services groups they’ve put downtown. I think those are extremely important for the city and I fully support them, Hudsons fully supports them and have been big donors. But at the same time I feel it does affect business some times.”

Strickland added, “We’re not blaming anyone. But at the same time I feel like there are things they should be aware of. When you lay out these social services in a certain area you to understand that they will impact other things and try to mitigate those issues.”

A total of 46 employees are affected by the closure, with Strickland saying some will transfer to other locations in Calgary and Edmonton. None of Hudsons eight other establishments in Alberta and Saskatoon are closing at this time.

Amanda Gould, executive director for the Downtown Business Association says it’s sad to see Hudsons go.

“They’ve been very active on the DBA board and they take a real interest making sure the whole community thrives, as well as their own business. So it’ll really be a shame to see them go.”

The fact that Hudsons is the third food and beverage business in that area to either close or change hands this year doesn’t raise a red flag, Gould feels.

“I don’t think there is a struggle or a challenge in that part of downtown, to be honest. I think that’s just the natural turnover of business.”

Gould doesn’t feel there’s much they or The City of Red Deer could have done to prevent Hudsons from closing.

“At the end of the day it’s a business decision Hudsons felt that they had to make,” she says.

Strickland says it’s possible that Hudsons could return to Red Deer at some point, but not downtown.

“I think not until the economy turns around, or a great opportunity in the right location comes up.”