Owner Of Olde Stone Brewing Company & Hot Belly Mama's Announces Both Restaurants Closing Due To Impact Of Pandemic

[UPDATE: A GoFundMe page has been set up to save the businesses. The page is requesting $500,000 and donors have already begun donating.]

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Incredibly sad news for fans of two awesome restaurants located side by side in downtown Peterborough. Owner Travis Smith has announced in a heartfelt Facebook post that they are both closing due to the impact of the pandemic on business.

Photo via Old Stone Facebook page

Here’s the full announcement:

“To all of our dearest friends, family and guests of The Olde Stone Brewing Company and Hot Belly Mama’s.

It is with deep regret and sadness that We are informing you today that as of March 1st we will be closing our doors to the public for good. We tried very hard to continue on and persevere throughout this pandemic and subsequent lockdowns but unfortunately we were beaten by it.

We want to take a minute to thank every single one of you that supported us over the last 25 years from celebration dinners to first dates, to a Friday night pint and everything in between. We have watched your families grow, and we have toasted those who have had to leave us. We truly feel very fortunate to have been a part of such a vibrant, tight-knit and caring community. We will continue to offer all your favourite menu items by take out or curb side pickup Wednesdays through Sundays from 12-8 until the end of the month, so please give us a call to enjoy that blackened catfish or a mound of sweet potato fries and we’ll be here with big smiles on our faces waiting to see you. Thank you Peterborough and we’ll see you soon!

With great love and respect,

Travis Smith and all of the staff of The Olde Stone Brewing Company and Hot Belly Mama’s”

Share your memories of these restaurants on our Facebook page.

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Iconic Hi Tops Restaurant Sign Lives On (Again), Now At Hot Belly Mama's Restaurant

Remember the old Hi Tops Chinese restaurant that was a fixture in downtown Peterborough? You couldn't miss the iconic sign when you were driving down George Street and at night, it was even more of a focal point with its neon lights.

Indeed, the sign was one of the landmarks in the downtown core since the '60s...

The Old Hi Tops restaurant

When the sign came down in 2013 after it was announced Hi Tops was closing after about 100 years in business, everyone wondered what would become of it. Surely this rich part of Peterborough's history wouldn't end up in landfill.

Well the sign was saved by artist Bill Kimball after the Hi Tops owner agreed to give it to him, and a portion of the sign (it comes in two parts) found a home right across the street at The Spill coffee bar for many years...

The sign hanging at The Spill

When The Spill owner Dave Tobey closed the establishment last fall, people were wondering again, What would now become of the Hi Tops sign? Would it be saved again?

Indeed it would, thanks to another downtown business owner: "When I heard The Spill was closing, I reached out to Dave Tobey about the sign and he put me in touch with Bill Kimball the caretaker of the sign," Hot Belly Mama's owner Travis Smith tells PTBOCanada. "I said I would be happy to display it at The Belly as it would definitely fit in with my atmosphere there. He agreed."

Now the entire sign hangs proudly at The Belly...

The sign at Hot Belly Mama's

"I feel like the sign is a piece that needs to be on display as a big part of Peterborough's history," Smith tells PTBOCanada, adding that this whole process of getting the sign and installing it came together over the past couple months with Kimball and an amazing group of people in town.

Kudos to Smith for showcasing this important piece of Peterborough history in his restaurant. Go check it out next time you're in!

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Here Are Some Signs That It's Definitely Fall In The Patch

Signs that Fall has arrived in Peterborough... the windows have gone up at Hot Belly Mama's and The Old Stone Brewing Company for the season. No more enjoying a meal in the summer breeze.

The Reggie's chip truck near Trent University is closed for the season (but don't forget to visit them in East City!).

The Silver Bean Cafe is closed for the season.

The fountain at Millennium Park has been turned off for the season.

Know of other signs that Fall has arrived in the Patch? Send your pics to tips@ptbocanada.com. Follow us on Twitter @Ptbo_Canada.

[Contributed by PtboCanada's Evan Holt]

Sebastian Bach Comes Home To Peterborough And Eats At Riley's, Hot Belly Mama's... and Harvey's (And *Update*: Gets Arrested)

Sebastian Bach, who grew up right here in the Patch, has been back in the hood the past couple days with a couple buddies, and has tweeted several local spots he's been at, including Hot Belly Mama's, Riley's, and Harvey's. So if you thought you'd just been spotting Sebastian Bach lookalikes all over the Patch, well, you may well have... but it might also have been the real Sebastian Bach.

[photo via Sebastian Bach on Facebook via @PeteDalliday]

[Related: A 22-year-old Sebastian Bach Gives His Memories of Peterborough]

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Update on 2010-11-15 17:46 by PTBOCANADA

Sebastian Bach was arrested this morning at Riley's Olde Towne Pub. Here's the deets below via Pete Dalliday's blog entry on KruzFM's website:

Assault/Mischief/Possession of Drugs Arrest:

On the 15th of November at approximately 12:02 am the accused and several friends were at Riley’s Old Towne Pub located on George Street North. A dispute occurred between the accused and Pub staff and he was asked to leave. The accused started to walk toward the doors carrying a glass of wine. When the staff member advised the accused that he could not leave with the glass of wine, he threw it at the front doors shattering the wine glass. The staff member physically detained the accused and the police were called. As the accused was being detained, a struggle ensued and the accused bit the staff member on the left hand.

The police arrived and as a result of the investigation the accused, Sebastian Bierk age 42 of Lindroft New Jersey, was arrested. When Bierk was searched he was found to be in possession of approximately 1.95 grams of marihuana. He has been charged with assault, possession of a controlled substance and mischief under $5,000.00. Bierk has been held in custody and will appear in court later this morning.  

*And more local coverage here and here.*