Edmonton bakery Mama Leila’s Keto Treats leaving downtown location

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Leila Evoy has spent nearly four years serving keto-friendly treats in Downtown Edmonton. But soon she’s packing up her bakery and heading north.

The owner of No Sugar No Problem with Mama Leila’s Keto Treats said high rent, limited parking, and customer concerns about accessibility and safety have made it tough to operate in the Downtown neighbourhood. With an opportunity to break her lease early, she’s jumping at the chance to relocate to a more convenient spot, one with ample parking and better access for her loyal customers.

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“The biggest reason is accessibility. We hear it every day from our customers. ‘Oh, you’re Downtown. I hate driving Downtown. There is no parking,’” Evoy said, noting that’s the common response they get from many customers.

People also worry about their safety around the Downtown area, she said.

“We have a lot of unhoused people on the block. We’ve never had direct issues with them but, as you know, they are out there on the streets, roaming the streets, and people don’t feel very safe with that and you think that is affecting your business directly? 100 per cent,” she said.

Foot traffic hasn’t been as strong as she hoped, even with Rogers Place just down the street, Evoy said.

“When people come to the (Oilers) game, they’re not going shopping here and then bringing their products to the game. They can’t do that. And a lot of times they come by transit, they go to the game and they go back home, and that’s it,” she said. “So whether there’s games or events, we don’t notice much of a difference. Restaurants might. We don’t.”

Evoy said on top of all that, ongoing construction in the area has made things even more difficult.

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“It is tough being a business Downtown. We also just found out that in the spring, they’re digging up just right around the corner from us, so it’s a good time for us to be leaving because it will be even harder to get to us.”

Rent is quite costly in this area, she said. Her lease at the Downtown location, 10230 104 St. NW, runs until fall 2025, but when she was given the chance to break it early, she took it.

“Especially since the location is not as accessible due to limited parking and safety issues, the high rent is not worth it,” she said, adding that she was “already considering either completely shutting down or moving once our lease was up, but definitely not staying Downtown.”

Problems parking Downtown just ‘a reality’

Puneeta McBryan, executive director of the Edmonton Downtown Business Association, acknowledged the challenges businesses face Downtown but pointed out that many of these factors are common across North American city cores.

“There’s no downtown core anywhere in North America that has free parking. You have to pay for parking in a busy business district. That’s usually how it works. We have to have turnover of parking stalls. There’s very high demand for parking stalls. So we can’t have free parking Downtown. That’s the way it is,” McBryan said.

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“We’ve heard that before, every major city’s downtown and neighbourhoods like Old Strathcona, that’s just a thing. That’s a reality.”

McBryan also noted that safety concerns, particularly regarding vehicle break-ins, aren’t something she commonly hears about on 104 Street. Leasing rates on 104 Street are among the highest in the city, she said, which can make it difficult for niche businesses to sustain themselves.

McBryan also addressed the broader concerns about public safety and the need for federal funding to address issues such as homelessness, addiction, and mental health. She said the association made a request to Ottawa last year but has not yet received support.

“Federal politics have been a bit of a ‘tornado’ since we were there in October. So, unfortunately, I think our concerns and the concerns of cities across the country are sort of — it feels like on the back burner,” she said.

McBryan said there has been ongoing engagement on safety concerns at the provincial level, including regular discussions with ministers and officials in the provincial government, as well as large Downtown employers.

Despite these challenges, McBryan emphasized that Downtown Edmonton is evolving, with new businesses opening and increased foot traffic. She added that while perceptions of Downtown may not always align with reality, the area is seeing significant improvement.

“Edmonton is a major city with a population of a million people, and our Downtown is not nearly as populated as it could be or should be, but feels very much closer to back to normal, and what we would expect a busy Downtown in a major city to look like.”

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Now, Evoy is preparing to move her business to Hermitage, where she believes customers will have an easier time stopping in for their favourite keto-friendly treats.

“The new location is much more accessible from all directions, tons and tons of parking,” she said. “There’s been a lot of great feedback (about the move).”

Evoy expects to “pack everything up and head to the new location” at the end of April. She plans to share updates on social media to keep customers informed about the exact opening date.

cnguyen@postmedia.com

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