Charlee’s charms
Charlee's Restaurant & Lounge, located at 185 Stadacona St., celebrated its 20th anniversary in December. Owner Charlie Villapando, who grew up in Winnipeg's North End, started the establishment after converting a run-down strip mall into a restaurant. He faced initial struggles, working 15 hours a day, seven days a week, and often sleeping at the restaurant.
Villapando's mother, Eufronia, taught him how to cook after seeing her and her aunt Liala, a chef, prepare meals. After graduating from culinary school, Villapando worked at high-end restaurants before landing a full-time job at a resort in the Cayman Islands. However, an opportunity presented itself to open a restaurant, and Villapando took it despite initially viewing the property as run-down.
He spent 11 months renovating and introduced a menu inspired by Greek and Filipino cuisines, eventually attracting a loyal customer base.
Written by urgent.news from Winnipeg Free Press's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
