The latest cup entering Rudy’s Eat & Drink isn’t for water or wine.
It’ll be hoisted by a professional football team on Sunday. But for three days, the Grey Cup has a place in Rudy’s, as do Canadian Football League players.
The provincial government estimates the Grey Cup game and its surrounding events will draw at least $90 million in economic activity.
Rudy’s is staffing up. It’s not alone.
“I’m kind of equating it to … an extended (Winnipeg) Jets rush,” said Mackenzie Robb, general manager of Rudy’s at 373 Graham Ave.
She’s worked with the CFL Players’ Association over the past half-year. This weekend, the downtown Winnipeg restaurant is acting as the CFLPA’s headquarters in the lead-up to the 112th Grey Cup.
Autograph signings and pictures with players and the championship trophy are on the schedule. A group of 60 people who follow the Grey Cup landed in Rudy’s on Thursday, Robb said.
“It’s nice to see some new faces,” she added. “Lots of people from out of town.”
Other restaurateurs in downtown Winnipeg echoed Robb. Grey Cup events began in the city’s core on Nov. 9. There have been street festivals, concerts and socials.
RBC Convention Centre leadership expect to see more than 20,000 Grey Cup fans through the weekend. They hired an extra 200 to 300 people to cover this weekend’s events. The centre is the official headquarters of Grey Cup festivities.
Justin Guest has clocked traffic from Hamilton, Calgary and Edmonton in Browns Socialhouse Portage — Canadians whose home teams aren’t represented during Sunday’s game between the Saskatchewan Roughriders and Montreal Alouettes.
“Is (this) a typical endeavour? No, because we’re seeing such a large fan base nationally,” said Guest, who owns the Browns across from the Canada Life Centre.
Events downtown are common, Guest said. Browns is operating as it would during a Jets home NHL game or a concert. Forty to 60 staff might work the restaurant at a given time.
Employees are briefed daily about Grey Cup events and other Winnipeg happenings in case a customer asks, Guest said: “It’s kind of nice to see an opportunity for us to (show-off).”
The Manitoba Hotel Association estimates more than 5,000 Winnipeg rooms — of approximately 8,000 — are rented due to the Grey Cup.
“Mid-November usually is a decent month for hotels in Winnipeg,” said Michael Juce, the association’s president.
“This is really going to help put us over the top.”
Conference-goers and tourists preparing for a polar bear-filled trip to Churchill usually take hotel space this month. That hasn’t changed, Juce said.
MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS Mackenzie Robb, general manager of Rudy’s Eat & Drink. The restaurant at 375 Graham Avenue has partnered with the CFL on some events leading up to the Grey Cup. Reporter: Gabrielle Piche 251114 – Friday, November 14, 2025.
Last week, 2,500 people attended a College of Family Physicians conference at the RBC Convention Centre.
Princess Auto Stadium can fit upwards of 32,000 fans. The goal is to draw out-of-towners back, said Natalie Thiesen, Winnipeg Economic Development & Tourism’s vice-president of tourism.
The economic development agency is running a Grey Cup weekend visitor booth and activity zone in the RBC Convention Centre.
“When people come and experience our city … they’re surprised and impressed,” Thiesen said. “We want people to leave with an incredibly positive experience.”
Major events spark local pride, which is also important, Thiesen said.
Grey Cup weekend coincides with the Santa Claus parade (today) and a Brad Paisley country music concert (Friday) at the downtown Canada Life Centre.
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“It just helps us sell our city as a whole,” said Drew Fisher, RBC Convention Centre president.
The provincial government, at the time led by the Progressive Conservatives, tabbed $5.5 million in 2022 to support a Grey Cup bid for 2024 or 2025. It projected then — and now — provincial tax revenue from the event could hit $8.2 million.
Vancouver hosted the Grey Cup last year, and noted a $121.9 million economic impact, the CFL announced in April.
Winnipeg has hosted the Grey Cup in four prior years: 1991, 1998, 2006 and 2015.
gabrielle.piche@winnipegfreepress.com
Gabrielle Piché reports on business for the Free Press. She interned at the Free Press and worked for its sister outlet, Canstar Community News, before entering the business beat in 2021. Read more about Gabrielle.
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