‘Sad time’ Kitchener’s Stampede Corral saddling up for one final party
KITCHENER — For 35 years, it’s been home to cowboy hats and cocktails, bull rides and bikini contests.
But in a month’s time, the last bars of a country tune will fade away, and the doors to a latenight landmark will close for good.
“It’s a sad time for us,” said Andrew Mackay, who co-owns Kitchener’s Stampede Corral with Lauren Buckley. “We’re happy about what we achieved, but at the same time it’s sad to be closing.”
A number of factors played into the decision, Mackay said, chief among them a “prohibitive” lease on the 13,000-square foot space in the plaza at Stirling and Courtland avenues that was coming to an end in June. “When you don’t own the building, it’s just a lot of money going out every month.”
Minimum wage hikes — with another one pending in January — have been hard to swallow, he said, with an increase across the Corral’s 25 to 30-person payroll. The 2015 closure of the nearby Schneiders plant, which employed 1,200 people, was felt on a quieter dance floor. Social patterns have changed.
“It’s not what it used to be, there’s no question,” Mackay said.
The Stampede Corral opened in 1983; Mackay’s older brother, Rob, was an original employee and became manager shortly after. Andrew Mackay was its third owner, having purchased it in 1999. Buckley became a partner five years ago.
Mackay is also a majority owner in Guelph’s Stampede Ranch, where it will be business as usual after the Corral closes on June 16.
One of the things that set Stam-
pede Corral apart, aside from its website billing as “Kitchener Waterloo’s only true country bar,” was its dedication to live music. It didn’t often go for the big names, although acts like The Wilkinsons and the late Terry Sumsion had graced the stage. Cover bands kept the crowds happy on most nights.
It also boasted a refreshingly diverse clientele. “It’s a place for all age groups,” Buckley said. “You can come with your mother and neither of you are out of place,” added Mackay. “We have regulars that come in their 70s, and 19-year-olds love it too.”
When the news about the pending closure broke to a Saturday night crowd, “there were some in tears,” Buckley said. “You feel you’re letting people down,” Mackay added — staff, bands and patrons who feel more like an extended family.
But the owners say they’re buoyed by the support they’ve received as that June 16 date draws closer.
“Staff, customers are saying ‘come out, let’s make it one final party’,” said Buckley.