Calico Junction closes after nearly 50 years in mall food court

When Glady Pierce served the first soft ice cream cone at what would become a staple spot in the Town 'n’ Country Mall, her naiveté let the machine dole out far more of the cold treat than expected — but she quickly learned how to handle running a food business. 

Now, nearly 50 years later, that fast-food kiosk has made the tough decision to close up shop, as the financial stresses of the coronavirus pandemic put the proverbial nail in the coffin.

Owners and operators Todd and Barb Pierce served their last poutine at Calico Junction on April 25, after a surge of support from the local community made their last week in business one to remember.

“The community was absolutely amazing and we had great support over the years, and we're definitely going to miss seeing everybody every day,” said Barb. 

It was a tough decision to make, admitted Barb, but one that was best for both the Pierce’s and for the business. 

Foot traffic in the mall had been on the decline for a while, she said, and keeping the restaurant going was becoming less financially feasible over time. 

As the pandemic forced retail closures, Calico Junction felt an even sharper decrease in customers as the mall shut down entirely. The uncertainty of when businesses in malls and food courts will be allowed to resume services left the Pierces worried about their ability to bounce back in a post-pandemic economy.
 
It was then that the they made the choice to call it quits.

“Recovery from something like that is just not easily done,” said Barb. “We just had to make the tough decision to do what was best for all of us.”

After announcing the closure on Facebook, Todd and Barb were surprised by the outpouring of memories that came their way. Past patrons of the popular food court kiosk reminisced about visiting Calico Junction in years past, while some even drove several hours for one last poutine before it was over. 

“There was so much community support, which was totally unexpected. I was really shocked and happy and sad all at the same time,” said Barb.

The Pierces have plenty of memories of their own from working together at the business for so many years, and hearing customers’ memories was a special kind of heartwarming for Barb. 

“I had people [tell me how] they could come up when Safeway was there, as little kids, and have fries after getting groceries with their mom and dad, and now they were bringing their kids up,” said Barb. “Just all the different stories like that, that we heard, it was just amazing.”

Some of Barb’s favourite memories as a business owner in the mall included the annual Halloween costume parades and other children’s activities over the years. 

But what she’ll miss the most, she said, is her loyal staff and customers — many of whom came in every day — as well as working alongside her husband and two daughters. 

“Todd and I worked together every day for 18 years, and now I go to an office every day and it's not the same,” said Barb. “I’m going to miss that, working with family.”

Todd and Barb took over Calico Junction from his mother Glady in 2003, who first opened what would become the food court giant in 1973 — which at the time was called The Malt Shoppe, before it combined with her second mall venture, Magic Oven Bakery, to form Calico Junction.

Over the years, three generations of the Pierce family have worked at the restaurant — and they have served three generations of customers, as many have brought their children and grandchildren to enjoy the famous food.

Calico Junction was certainly a family affair, agreed Barb, and that included the many staff members who worked at the food joint over the years who returned year after year to work behind the counter.

“Everybody really keeps in touch. I have staff who worked there when they were 15 and now they’re in their 30s [and] they still always make sure they stop by and visit when they’re in town,” said Barb. “It was like family all the time because we had such continuing, long-lasting staff.”

It’s certainly disappointing to see Calico Junction close, said Barb, especially since Glady also made the decision to sell Hopkin’s Dining Parlour earlier this year after over 40 years in operation. 

But although the popular Moose Jaw joint is definitely closed, Barb did admit that the possibility of a revival in the future isn’t entirely off the table.

“We are leaving our options open, but we have to kind of see how everything recovers first before we decide what to do,” said Barb

The Pierces do have concerns about what the restaurant industry will look like in a post-pandemic world, but they aren’t opposed to revisiting the food business once things look more settled.

“I wouldn’t say it’s out of the question,” said Barb. “I think it may be different, thought, maybe looking at a food truck down the line or just doing something a little different, but we have to wait and see what happens, what the new normal will bring.”