Cullen Gardens and Miniature Village, 1996

Did the Cullen Gardens Restaurant(as it was originally known), undergo a change before it became the Grill & The Grape sometime after 2000? I always assumed they kept the original look until then. Which if so, would put this photo later than 1996.

It's interesting to note the transition going on here. The walls are painted with the red and yellow scheme that the Grill & The Grape had. The cranberry glass shades have been removed and are collected in a box. You still see the carpet, chairs and green cloths of the original restaurant, as well as the chandeliers.

Hi there,

The restaurant at Cullen Gardens was originally known as the Garden Gate Restaurant and it was built in 1987. It eventually became known as Cullen Gardens Restaurant. A fire destroyed the restaurant in 1989 after which it was rebuilt. In the late 1990s (about 1999), in an effort to attract new visitors, Cullen Gardens renovated its fine dining restaurant and re-opened it as a casual dining facility known as the Grill and Grape Restaurant. This initiative was unsuccessful.

The date of this photograph was obtained from its original envelope. It's possible that it was incorrect and this photo could date anywhere from 1987 to 1999.

More information about Cullen Gardens and Miniature Village can be found in the records which can be accessed here at the Archives. Please see the following finding aid. www.archeion.ca/cullen-gardens-and-miniature-village-fonds

Do be aware, the restaurant in this photo never actually burned down. That was the one in the brown barn to the north. It was originally known as "The Cullen Gardens Restaurant" and once the new facility opened, it became "The Village Restaurant".

The "Village Restaurant" was never rebuilt and remained as "The Ruins", or "The Garden In the Ruins", until the demise of Cullen Gardens.

I do think you are right about the date of this photo afterall. It appears the original Grill and Grape concept retained much of the look of the Cullen Gardens Restaurant. I only know this because I came across a single photo of how this looked.

I guess what confused me is that they renovated the restaurant further around 2003/2004 to take on a more "Mediterranean" look(as they described it). I had thought that was when the "Grill and Grape" came along.

But evidently it had already been the "Grill and Grape" for atleast a few years before that, unbeknownst to me. The final renovation did away with the cranberry shades, green carpets, green chairs, green cloth and chandeliers.

Actually, looking at the archived websites of Cullen Gardens on the Wayback Machine. The sequence went as follows.

The restaurant was built in 1987. Possibly called the Garden Gate like you said, but if it was, the name was short lived.

Cullen Gardens went online in late 1998. The restaurant was still called "Cullen Gardens Restaurant" at the time.

The restaurant was renovated in the mid to late 1990's, and the look changed somewhat, but retained the name "Cullen Gardens Restaurant".

The name stayed until 2004, when they renovated the restaurant again and changed the decor completely.It became "The Grill and Grape". They kept that name until the end.

As you said the "Grill and Grape" was not successful either, since they probably failed to provide an experience that was suitably distinct to make people want to go there.