The people of the Baie Verte Peninsula have lost something special.
After operating for some 50 years, and later a serving as a place for nostalgic reflection, Jim’s Restaurant and Jim’s Store were torn down Monday, Dec. 10.
Jim’s Restaurant was opened in 1961 by Chinese immigrant’s Fong and Wong Kim Sue Jim, who were affectionately known as Mr. and Mrs. Jim. For many years, it was the only Chinese restaurant on the Baie Verte Peninsula.
As the mining town grew, so did the family business. They bought two adjacent properties to the restaurant and opened the general store — which carried just about anything anybody could ever want.
The general store closed in 2012. The restaurant was purchased by another family and has since gone on to operate at another location.
With Mrs. Jim’s passing earlier this year, her son, Patrick Jim, said the family felt it was time to let the building go.
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The building that housed the restaurant was originally built in the 1950s and had outlived its usefulness, he said.
“My mother passed away recently, and I guess everyone wants some closure in their lives,” he said. “It’s was a sad day to see it come down, but speaking personally, it was a relief.”
In reality, he said, the shuttered building had become a liability.
“Practically speaking, there was no value in having the building on the land,” he said. “We weren’t willing to carry on with it, we had it up for sale but there were no offers.”
And the family wasn’t prepared to let it sit and deteriorate.
As of Dec. 11, the building was completely down and in the process of being shipped to the landfill.
In lieu of a tipping fee, Patrick said the family made arrangements with the town to make a donation to a community garden being planned for the town. This is something Patrick sees as fitting, as his mother always maintained a garden on the back of the building.
Fond memories
Even though he got the first swing in bringing the building down, to lose such a big part of his life was hard.
“There’s definitely a void,” Patrick said.
He grew up with the store, and even helped his mother run the business from 1980 to 2003.
“It was a great meeting place for the people of the town,” he said. “Anybody that needed anything would shop there.”
Patrick noted the mom and pop operation had achieved big box store status on the Baie Verte Peninsula.
“There was a saying, ‘If you didn’t find it at Jims you didn’t need it’,” he said with a laugh.
And he recognizes residents were sad to see the building go as well, adding it speaks volumes to what his parents had created.
“But most people understand the building has outlived its use… after a while these types of buildings become an eyesore, and in those terms, they agree with the decision,” he said.
Once the land is cleared, the property will again be put up for sale.
Former Baie Verte Mayor Clar Brown hopes it’s a purchase that creates something for the betterment of the town, the same as the Jim’s had done all those years ago.
Brown moved to Baie Verte in 1973, and he remembers the place well.
“It was a centerpiece of the town,” he said, noting the Chinese food was well-known throughout central Newfoundland and the general store was the go-to place on the peninsula.
But the greatest aspect of the business, in his mind, was the friendly demeanor of the Jim family.
“People always remember the reception, you were always well-received,” he said. “There was never a problem for them, and if there was something they didn’t have they would certainly try and get it for you.”
Brown called the removal of the building a sad occasion, but he takes some solace in knowing pieces of it remain.
When the restaurant was closed down, he said, the chairs were sold off and he ended up with two.
“It’s a fond memory because you can’t help but think of all the people who sat in these chairs over the years,” he said. “And it’s nice to know that parts of that restaurant, even though it’s torn down and gone to the dump, still exists.”
