Tastee’s to open downtown restaurant

The owner of Tastee’s Ice Cream and Grill on First Street is opening a new venture in downtown Brandon at the former site of Benny’s Restaurant and Catering Services on Rosser Avenue.

Tastee’s Brunch and Catering, set to open by the end of November, will offer a mix of breakfast, lunch and catering services, continuing part of the legacy left behind by Benny’s, which closed in August, owner Claudia Leung told the Sun on Monday.

“The restaurant will serve a variety of breakfast and lunch dishes, drawing inspiration from Canadian and English-style menus, with lighter, health-conscious options available as well,” she said.

“We’ll keep some of Benny’s most popular menu items. Favourites. We still have all the recipes, and people loved those dishes.”

Tastee’s Brunch and Catering will also offer catering — a service Benny’s was known for.

“We want to continue doing what Benny’s used to do with catering,” Leung said. “I hope to serve both small gatherings and larger community events.”

Renovations are currently underway, she said.

“I have not made an official announcement yet, as there’s still work to be done to prepare the space. We’re hoping to open by the end of November,” she said. “We’re still upgrading and getting everything ready.”

Leung and two partners from Hong Kong bought Benny’s Restaurant early last year, months after former owner Ben Hernandez died.

“We took over Benny’s on Feb. 1, 2024,” Leung said. “At the time, I wasn’t running it directly because I had just had a baby, but we thought it was a great opportunity to keep the restaurant going and maybe build something new.”

She said the partners saw potential in keeping the well-known downtown restaurant open.

However, the partnership quickly hit turbulence.

“The other two owners … eventually stepped away from the business just a few months after we took over,” Leung said. “That left me having to figure out what to do next, especially with three young kids to care for.”

By August, Benny’s was officially closed. But Leung was determined not to let the building sit empty.

“I didn’t want the space to stay vacant for too long,” she said. “I thought maybe I could buy out the other partners and turn it into something that fits my schedule and lifestyle better.”

That’s how Tastee’s Brunch and Catering was born.

Several former employees from Benny’s are expected to return when the new business opens.

“I’m planning to start with three or four of our old staff members,” Leung said. “They’re excited to come back and work with me again.”

Leung acknowledged that balancing business ownership with family life remains a challenge. “With three kids — nine, six and two years old — it’s a busy life,” she said. “That’s one of the reasons we’re shifting to mornings and afternoons. It works better for my family.”

The news of a new restaurant opening downtown has been met with enthusiasm by the community, Downtown BIZ executive director Emmy Sanderson told the Sun.

“The community has been eager to see the space come alive again, and I’m happy to see that it’s still going to be a restaurant again,” Sanderson said. “There were a lot of people upset when Benny’s closed, and they hoped it would remain a restaurant. Knowing that it will now be a breakfast and lunch spot is awesome — there are lots of people who go out for lunch in downtown during the work week.”

Sanderson said the new addition will complement the existing variety of local eateries in the downtown core. “We have so many great restaurants down here, and the more options we have, the better it is for everybody,” she said. “It continues to draw people downtown and reinforces that this is the best place to get locally owned, locally made food.”

She added that the buzz on social media since the announcement has been overwhelmingly positive. “People are really happy it’s staying a restaurant, and they’re very excited for Tastee’s to be down here,” she said. “I anticipate they’ll get a lot of support — there’s definitely excitement around it.”

As she prepares for opening day, Leung said she’s hopeful the Brandon community will rally behind her new venture, just as it did in the past.

“Honestly, I’m a little nervous — it’s a new chapter for us,” she said. “But I’m also excited. I hope our regular customers will come back to support us, and that new ones will come to try what we’re offering.”

Despite the setbacks she has faced, Leung said her motivation remains rooted in her love for serving people and her belief in downtown Brandon’s potential.

“Running a restaurant is never easy,” she said. “But I love creating food that people enjoy and giving them a place to relax. That’s what keeps me going.”

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