Reston’s Modern/Panda Cafe

As I write this post on New Year's Eve 2020, I think about an annual tradition for many rural Manitobans - ordering take-out Chinese Food from the local small town restaurant. This brief history of Reston's version comes from the Trails Along the Pipestone (1981) and The Sequel (2008).  As with any posts, I would welcome anything my readers can add - memories, details or pictures to my email ssimms at escape.ca. 

Screenshot from Google Street view taken 2014

It seems a man named Jack McCrindle first used the building to operate a Deering equipment agency and machine shop. It was located on Railroad Avenue east of Main Street. About 1910, it was moved to its current location on Main Street.  I've read this was not as difficult as you might think since there were not many buildings in between at that time! The franchise became McCormick-Deering in 1918 and Mr. McCrindle branched out to also sell Westinghouse products and gas. Thanks to Kelly Donald for this letter from 1928 - near the end of his selling days.

The equipment was all under the banner of IHC - International Harvester Co and the rights to sell it in Reston went to E. H. Berry across the street in 1928. I am not sure what the building was used for after that.   

Until 1934, when the owner of the Reston House Hotel, Richard V. Cusack, remodeled the machine shop to create a dance hall.  A side door made it convenient for his hotel guests to patronize the establishment until 1946 when the Memorial Theatre filled the dance hall void.

Picture from the collection of Verna and John Olenick

The building was remodeled by John and Florence Payne in 1946 who had moved from the general store and post office in Ewart with their children - Harvey, Bill and Marjorie. It metamorphized to a restaurant called the Modern Lunch Bar with living quarters above.  The business was sold in 1949 to Charlie Lee, Jim Sing and Henry Wong, who I can't find any more information about. Interesting articles here  and here tell about the early Chinese immigrants in rural Manitoba running restaurants and laundries in small towns if you are curious for more information. In the picture above, over the trunk of the car parked for this GoKart race, you can just see the Modern Cafe of the 1950's. 

October 1964 - from McKee archives at Brandon University

Jim and Sue Anne Eng came to Reston in 1961 and took over the Modern Cafe.  Aside from a sojourn to Winnipeg in 1974-75, they and their family (Jim Jr., Jeannie, Lisa and Garry and Sue Anne's mother - Sun Oi Chan) ran a successful and fondly remembered restaurant until they retired in 1989.  John and Daisy Lee then took over and completed some renovations during their time in Reston. Cindy Wong and her mother Annie, brother Billy and his wife Kam bought the business in 2001 and renamed it The Panda Cafe.  

Happy New Year 2021 to my readers!  I look forward to more research and writing. 😊  Thanks for sharing your memories and encouragement.