Waterloo’s Harmony Lunch closing Jan. 24
WATERLOO — Harmony Lunch, the Waterloo institution whose burgers and fried onions kept diners coming back for generations, is closing for good later this month.
In a post to its social media sites on Tuesday, the restaurant said “It is with heavy hearts that we announce that Harmony Lunch will be closing our doors permanently on January 24, 2020. We would like to thank the region for all of their support throughout the years. We appreciate each and every one of you!”
The King Street landmark, opened in 1930 by Harry Marks, first closed in late 2016 after being sold. Its fate was unclear until the announcement came from new owners Hip Developments and MelloulBlamey
Construction that the Fat Sparrow Group of restaurants would take over operations. Harmony Lunch was back in business just a few months later, after a few renovations.
The Fat Sparrow Group, headed by Nick and Natalie Benninger and their business partners, also runs Nick & Nat’s Uptown 21, Marbles, Taco Farm, Stone Crock and Jacob’s Grill.
During streetscape construction along King Street last year, Harmony Lunch noted on its website that “We have painfully noticed that since construction fences have been put up our average sales do not sustain the cost of running the restaurant for Tuesday and Wednesday.”
The restaurant closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays during the construction period; it was already closed Mondays. A recorded phone message still states that regular hours were expected to resume last September, but it’s not clear if that occurred.
No one from Harmony Lunch or the Fat Sparrow Group was available late Tuesday afternoon.
When the iconic restaurant was given a second chance, the reprieve was wellreceived by legions of fans. The expanded menu included never-before-seenat-Harmony options like salads, and chef Nick Benninger’s take on its favourites — as he prepped the restaurant for its reopening, he couldn’t extract the secret Marks family recipe for their famous pork burgers from Harry’s son and second-generation Harmony owner, Bruce.
The classic interior got a refresh, and washrooms were updated, but the atmosphere remained intact.
“Harmony Lunch was a favourite of Chef Nick’s, so you can rest assured that his unyielding commitment to homestyle cooking and quality food will be in perfect harmony with the standard Harry Marks set all those years ago,” the restaurant’s website states.