Kamloops donair bistro moving into former downtown McDonald’s location
A popular donair shop in downtown Kamloops is making a move into the former downtown McDonald’s building.
Klasske’s Bistro has been operating for six years at 260 Third Avenue, and owners Rob and Klasske Cornborough are welcoming the move which will allow them to expand the business.
“Operating the bistro while fixing up the new location has been stressful and tiring but we know it will be worth it,” Rob said.
The new space at 301 Victoria Street is bigger and will allow for another grill and rotisserie, as well as more seating for availability, reducing wait times for customers.
While the McDonald’s was closed down earlier this year after two decades in operation citing increasing social issues and decreasing foot traffic, the Cornboroughs are not put off by the potential added risks, having become familiar with the issues in the current location.
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“We have a relationship with the regular street entrenched people,” Rob said. “We deal with them on a case by case basis. We are not excluded from the ongoing issues, but we’ve learned how to talk to people in a certain condition and how to redirect them without getting in their face.”
Rob said they have had a broken window in the past and issues with street people coming into use illicit drugs in their bathroom, but they have also formed workable relationships with some of them, leaving out recyclables and water for them.
“From our store we don’t see what is going on in the new location, I understand it is a gathering place for illegal activity,” he said. “I think we can handle the street entrenched folks and continue to form respectful relationships with them."
The new location requires reupholstering of seating surfaces, new lighting, new appliances and adjusted venting. It requires a deep clean and fresh coat of paint to update the look and make it unique.
“We want a more inviting, open and bigger space,” said Klasske. “We can’t do much in this smaller, older building. We want to make the new place trendier to draw in those younger crowds who love to go to trendier places. We have some great ideas and I’m excited.”
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Klasske’s Bistro offers donairs that represent eastern Canada more than Greece, importing their beef from New Brunswick.
“We use pita bread but do our pita differently,” Rob said. “We have a special way of making it and it works. I cannot disclose our special techniques, but everything we serve is unique and homemade.”
Once in the new location, the Cornboroughs are launching a new breakfast donair, a fun twist on a grab-and-go eggs and sausage meal.
“We are going to start doing breakfast again,” Rob said. “When we started we offered breakfast but donairs kept taking over the breakfast and eventually I just cut it out. We are going to introduce breakfast donairs with bacon, sausage and scrambled eggs, with coffee.”
The Cornboroughs are grateful to their long-time customers who have supported them through the challenges of the past couple of years.
“There have been COVID restrictions and financial challenges but we just plowed through,” he said. “We were able to stay open through COVID because of good clientele supporting us. Ours is a smaller business but we were able to persevere.”
Klasske said she is overwhelmed by the support they have received from the community over the years.
“We absolutely send all the love we can to all our customers,” she said. “We have no words. We are so blessed to have such a support system.”
The goal is to be fully operating out of the new location at 301 Victoria Street sometime this fall.
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