The upscale Chinese restaurant that took over the long-vacant space of Ottawa's notorious McDonald's location has closed its doors after operating for less than seven months. 99 VIP Seafood, situated at 99 Rideau Street across from the Rideau Centre, ceased operations in March, leaving behind significant financial obligations.
Financial Troubles Lead to Sudden Closure
According to a bailiff's notice posted on March 26, the restaurant owed more than $83,000 in unpaid rent. Landlord Colonnade BridgePort terminated the lease and changed the locks on the establishment's doors. The restaurant had opened in September 2025 under chef-owner Kevin Tan, who moved from Guangzhou, China to Canada 35 years ago and previously worked in restaurants in Montreal and Toronto before settling in Ottawa.
Ambitious Vision Meets Harsh Reality
Last fall, Tan expressed confidence in his 120-seat restaurant's location despite acknowledged security concerns on Rideau Street and in the ByWard Market area. Through a translator, he explained that he wanted his dim sum and seafood establishment, featuring modern furniture imported from China, to be close to Parliament Hill. "This is the heart of Ottawa," Tan said at the time, revealing he had chosen the Rideau Street location over potential sites in Kanata and deeper within the Market.
Infamous Predecessor Sets Stage
The previous tenant at 99 Rideau Street gained international notoriety as the "World's Worst McDonald's," largely due to a viral 2014 video documenting a late-night brawl during which a bystander produced a baby raccoon from under his sweater. This history created both challenges and opportunities for subsequent businesses attempting to revitalize the location.
Broader Market Challenges
The closure of 99 VIP Seafood represents part of the ongoing turnover of businesses in the ByWard Market. In recent years, this historic Ottawa neighborhood has struggled with multiple setbacks including pandemic lockdowns, remote work emptying downtown office buildings, and persistent issues related to crime, violence, and homelessness.
Recent Restaurant Closures in the Area
Several other establishments have closed in the vicinity over the past 16 months:
- Play Food & Wine, opened by Ottawa restaurateur Stephen Beckta in 2009 on York Street, closed in January. Beckta noted that despite multiple showings, no new tenant has yet been found for the turnkey space.
- Blue Cactus Bar and Grill closed but was quickly replaced by Grey's Social Eatery.
- The plant-based eatery Pure Kitchen, located a few doors east of 99 VIP Seafood on Rideau Street, was replaced by Barrio, a casual Latin American restaurant.
Neighboring Business Perspective
Lizardo Becerra, award-winning chef-owner of Barrio and Raphael Peruvian Cuisine, expressed sadness about 99 VIP Seafood's closure. "It's definitely a loss for the Market," said Becerra, who noted that business at Barrio is finally improving after a difficult winter exacerbated by construction on William Street and ongoing challenges related to homelessness and addiction issues on Rideau Street.
Security Concerns in the Area
The neighborhood's challenges were highlighted by Ottawa's fourth homicide of 2026, which occurred on February 19 when Gilles Comtois, a 58-year-old known to many in Ottawa's vulnerable community in the Rideau Street area, was stabbed on Rideau Street near the intersection with Colonel By Drive, just one block west of 99 VIP Seafood.
The closure of 99 VIP Seafood underscores the complex economic and social dynamics affecting businesses in Ottawa's historic ByWard Market, where ambitious culinary ventures must navigate financial pressures, changing consumer patterns, and neighborhood challenges simultaneously.
