Downtown Chilliwack is getting a new restaurant in a location that proven to be challenging.
Roopso’s Garam Masala promises authentic Indian cuisine, taking over the building that formerly housed the Twisted Thistle, the Duke of Dublin, the Society Public House, The Gardenia House, Engumi’s.
Twisted Thistle closed its doors for good in June, though the railway clock above the entrance is still there as a reminder of its short existence. The business pointed to COVID-19 as the reason for the closure, and certainly eateries of all types were suffering and continue to struggle due to the pandemic.
But the corner of Nowell Street and Princess Avenue has been a problem for previous owners.
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The site is also believed by some to be haunted.
Once upon a time it was home to Dr. Alfred Lee Patton, who, according to a blog post at royalhotelchilliwack.wordpress.com practiced medicine in Chilliwack for four decades, and utilized the building as his clinic.
He died in the house in 1956 at the age of 76.
Many years later, when the Duke of Dublin was the restaurant of the day, staff members reported strange happenings within its walls, including a refrigerator door opening by itself (the doctor was hungry?).
A manager was particularly freaked out when she felt a hand on her shoulder, whirled around and saw no one there. She also said a ghost followed her around on the upstairs level, leaving footprints on the floor.
The house was originally built in 1912, so there could be things that happened in the long-distant past that explain the hauntings.
But if you’d like to get some Indian fare and perhaps have an unexpected visitor join you for dinner, the new restaurant is slated to open in November.
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