Ending an 18-year run, Dunn’s Famous Deli has been added to the growing list of businesses that have closed in the ByWard Market.
After surviving the COVID-19 pandemic and an ever-changing business landscape, Russell Garland, Dunn’s owner, cited rising safety concerns and a lack of tourists as the main reasons for the restaurant’s closure.
The last meals were served at Dunn’s in late March.
“Homelessness, drugs, shootings and stabbings. People don’t want to come downtown if they’re worried about their safety,” he said. “We just don’t have enough clientele.”
“The last time we had to call the police it took them 25 minutes to get there — and that was in January. It makes my employees feel unsafe.”
— Russell Garland, owner, Dunn’s Famous Deli
In December, the Ontario government announced plans to invest $20 million to revitalize the downtown area to “support safety and economic growth.”
As well, in June 2024, the City of Ottawa and Ottawa Police Service implemented the Neighbourhood Operations Centre to enhance police presence in the downtown area.
Despite these efforts, Garland said he hasn’t noticed a difference in tourism levels or safety in the market.
“The last time we had to call the police it took them 25 minutes to get there — and that was in January,” he said. “It makes my employees feel unsafe.”
He added: “I used to have 60 employees and I’m down to about 20 now.”
In October 2024, 2,952 people reported experiencing homelessness, according to the City of Ottawa’s Point in Time Count.
This is an increase of 340 people from the 2,612 reported in October 2021. The ByWard Market and adjacent areas of downtown Ottawa are common areas for unhoused individuals to spend their days.
The ByWard Market lost several businesses in the past year, including Blue Cactus Bar and Grill, Oz Kafe, the Courtyard Restaurant and Saslove’s Meat Market — which closed after seven decades in business.
Garland said almost every business in the market is experiencing similar struggles and is reaching a breaking point. “If we’re hurting, everybody’s hurting.” he said.
Garland said the decision to close Dunn’s took more than two years to finalize.
“We kind of just realized that you can’t just keep throwing money at a bad situation,” he said.
Rebecca Ulrich has lived in Ottawa her whole life. She said the ByWard Market’s decline has been “steady and disappointing.”
“For somewhere that’s supposed to be such a tourist destination, the state of it is just disappointing,” she said.
Ulrich said she doesn’t know where to start to repair the state of the historic commercial district.
“When these types of closures occur — whether it’s a national retailer or a smaller business — it’s always disappointing. We want to see businesses succeed.”
— Zachary Dayler, executive director, ByWard Market District Authority
“It just feels like the city is letting it slip away,” she said. “I mean, it’s hard for everyone. Nobody asks to be homeless, but nobody wants to run a business in an unsafe area.”
As Ottawa weather gets warmer, the ByWard Market is approaching its “high season,” which typically sees some 50,000 visitors per weekend, according to the ByWard Market District Authority.
Zachary Dayler, executive director of the BMDA, said business closures reflect a “broader shift in the retail landscape.”
“When these types of closures occur — whether it’s a national retailer or a smaller business — it’s always disappointing,” he said. “We want to see businesses succeed.”
Dayler said encouraging development is still happening in and around the ByWard Market, including new businesses, hotels and residential growth.
“This moment presents an opportunity for investment, and I hope the city and property owners will leverage it to reinforce and reshape our retail landscape in a way that aligns with the ByWard Market’s future,” he said.
