Mercury Cafe survives pandemic but not unscathed

One year ago, Regina’s Mercury Cafe & Grill was in danger of shutting down.

It put out a plea on Facebook outlining just how dire its situation was.

What happened next completely changed the restaurant’s trajectory.

“About three days after we posted, we noticed a definite increase in business,” owner Chris Plumb says.

“And then shortly thereafter it was an absolute explosion of business for about three weeks to the point where I had to hire or rehire old staff and new staff to come in and help us out because we were so overwhelmed with people coming in the doors.”

It was far more than Plumb ever could have expected. And he said that moment was the turning point for the fate of the 1950s-themed diner in the Cathedral area, which was in his own words “basically one payroll away from closing.”

“It was absolutely unbelievable how people in Regina can get together like this and really come out and really show support — true and real support unlike other cities that probably would struggle with a small campaign like that,” he said. “But I’ll tell you, had it not been for them, we would have been done a year ago.”

While the Mercury is still kicking in 2023, it didn’t come without sacrifice. Like with many other businesses, operational costs are now higher than ever due to inflation.

“Just to buy a head of romaine lettuce to give you an example, it’s $8,” he said. “(It’s) something that used to be half that.”

Plumb also accrued a heavy amount of debt over the last two years.

“I promised myself that I would not let this place fail, period, no matter what it took me to do this,” he said.

“I’m in debt to almost $180,000. (I’m) slightly behind on my GST and slightly behind on my PST payments and I’ve done what I had to do to keep this place going no matter what.”

Plumb has relied on loans from CEBA and HASCAP, and a high-interest loan with Driven Financial Corporation.

He said he’s not even halfway close to paying them all off.

Prior to the pandemic, Plumb said he basically had no debt for the first 12 years of Mercury’s existence.

Despite all the stress and hardship, Plumb said the challenges are part of the process.

“It’s always been a little bit of a puzzle for me or a riddle,” he said. “I’m not sure how to put it exactly, but it’s like a game and I like to play the game. I like to figure my way out of jams. I want to make sure I’ve got all angles covered.”

Plumb credited his staff and regular customer base who help him keep things going when times are really tough.

“This is my baby. This is something I built with my own two hands,” he said. “I just feel proud that I’ve managed to make this place work.”