A changing streetscape
Old Eisner’s Restaurant building demolished in Middleton
ANNAPOLIS VALLEY — The building commonly known as the old Eisner’s Restaurant in downtown Middleton is no more.
A demolition crew could be seen leveling the deteriorating local landmark Jan. 14 and 15.
Scott Nogler, owner of a drywall and painting business in Wilmot, watched with interest as a heavy equipment operator manipulated machinery to peel off the roof and bring the walls to the ground.
“I think it should have been ripped down a couple of years ago,” said Nogler.
“It was pretty rundown, I think. There were pigeons in the attic and all that for quite a while.” Nogler counts himself among the Annapolis Valley residents with fond memories of visiting Eisner’s Restaurant in its heyday.
It was a hub within the community, a destination for family night or special occasions, and the go-to place for a generous helping of the seafood platter.
“They served great food and I remember going in there as a kid with my parents and, actually, I’ve been sending my sister pictures of it as it’s being ripped down,” Nogler said. “It was probably one of the top restaurants here years ago.”
The eatery was once a popular stop along an Acadian Lines bus route covering Halifax to Yarmouth.
A vintage postcard listed for sale through Amazon.com offers a glimpse of the well-loved diner in the 1960s, with bright orange booths and counter-side stools accented by a checkered floor.
The postcard describes
Ellis Eisner as a host who was “famous for good food.”
Patrons would also come to know his wife, Isabelle Eisner, through visits to the restaurant and their presence in the community.
“Always known as a kind and giving person, one of her biggest joys was to decorate her home with lights for Christmas, for everyone in town to enjoy,” her obituary reads.
In recent years, the building at 255 Main St. housed King Size
Pizza, which now operates out of a different location in town.
Provincial Property Online records list Parsons Investments Limited as the current owner of the old Eisner’s Restaurant site.
Tax deed documents enclosed in the online database show that land assessed to Eisner’s Restaurant Ltd. was sold as a result of a tax sale.
A Certificate of Sale for Taxes document on file indicates that the Town of Middleton accepted the Kingston-based company’s offer of $37,876.
Scott Hearn, vice president of Real Estate and Development for Parsons Investments, said the building could not be restored.
“It had to come down because the previous owner did not upkeep the building. There was irreparable water damage as the roof had not been repaired,” said Hearn.
A plan for the future use of the site is in the works, Hearn added.