Pan Panchalingam has found his place building up restaurants around the GTA.
After immigrating to Canada from Sri Lanka amid a civil war decades ago, he said he soon came to start owning restaurants due to his passion for cooking. From Shoeless Joe’s to Wimpy’s Diner, he has made his career starting up popular franchise locations in the GTA.
“Since I came to this country, it’s been 32 years, always, always been a restaurant guy,” he said. “Very passionate about cooking.”
Panchalingam is using that passion to open up another restaurant, bringing Wimpy’s Diner back to Newmarket with a grand opening celebration Jan 21. The franchise diner location themed after the 1950s and '60s offers all-day breakfast, lunch and dinner, with more than 50 locations across the GTA.
There was previously a Wimpy’s Diner located on Davis Drive and Main Street that closed several years ago. Panchalingam previously owned the Aurora location but said he decided to close that to open up in Newmarket on Eagle Street when the opportunity for a larger location came up.
“A little bit more population here,” he said. “So I’m part of the Newmarket community… So far, so good.”
The restaurant opened Dec. 4. Since then, the diner has engaged with the community, donating 60 turkey dinners to the Newmarket Food Pantry in December.
Newmarket Mayor John Taylor, who was on hand for the grand opening, said Wimpy’s Diner is a favourite for many.
“We hear so many great things about Wimpy’s all the time, and of course, I’ve enjoyed it myself,” he said.
Area resident John Henry came by for the opening. He said he is a regular customer of Panchalingam’s, enjoying his Aurora location for four years and wanting to continue dining at his Newmarket location.
“Solid person, very solid person,” Henry said, adding praise for the restaurateur keeping staff with the location move. “I’m going to keep coming back here.
“People like Pan keep me going,” he added.
Kathy Jones said she used to eat at the previous Wimpy’s Diner location in Newmarket and was sad when it closed.
“I used to go for mostly the breakfast,” she said. “I’ll be coming back for the breakfast again … because it’s nice and it’s out of the house.”
