Longstanding Calgary restaurant forced to close – here's what we know
There’s been a lot of speculation among Calgarians over the last week or so around the fate of the longstanding restaurant Smugglers.
Having opened in 1974, Smugglers has become a firm favourite in Calgary for its aged prime rib, seafood and steakhouse classics.
However, this month, the restaurant revealed it had made the difficult decision to vacate its location at 6920 Macleod Trl., alleging it was due to ongoing issues with the premises and landlords.
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Questions over the situation at Smugglers first arose on March 17, 2026, when the restaurant posted to Instagram, informing locals that the spot would be temporarily closed for repairs due to “unexpected flooding and water line breaks related to City of Calgary infrastructure.”
So what’s going on
However, Smugglers has now shared a post on its Instagram aimed at clarifying the situation.
According to the post, the restaurant has been dealing with ongoing infrastructure issues, including “repeated city sewer backups and waterline failures.” The issue, the Smugglers team added, has significantly impacted its operations. Ultimately, the business was advised to cease operations until the situation was resolved for safety reasons.
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“Throughout this period, Smugglers continued to fulfil all obligations under its subtenancy while attempting to operate under increasingly challenging conditions,” it said.
Despite ongoing communication, Smugglers alleged that the issues were not resolved in a timely or effective manner, placing them in an “untenable position,” where it was not feasible to pay rent for a space it was legally and physically unable to operate in.
The restaurant also alleged there had been internal disputes within ownership and discrepancies in how the lease arrangements were represented, further complicating the issue.
“After months of ongoing issues, lack of resolution and inability to operate, we were ultimately forced to make the difficult decision to cease payments and vacate the premises,” it added.
While this is the end of the road for Smugglers at 6920 Macleod Trl., the team added that it is actively looking for a new location and direction for the brand.
Dished has reached out to the City of Calgary regarding claims made by the restaurant, and as of writing, has not heard back.
Smugglers
Address: 6920 Macleod Trl., Calgary
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