Wayne Gretzky opening restaurant in Edmonton International Airport
Above the entrance hangs the number 99, and the words Wayne Gretzky's Wine & Whisky.
The man who many consider to be the greatest hockey player in history is now going to be feeding hungry travelers in Edmonton.
The Great One is opening Edmonton International Airport's newest eatery Wayne Gretzky's Wine and Whiskey.
The operation is advertised as a family-friendly restaurant with liquor cabinets stuffed with wine and whisky from Wayne Gretzky Estates Wines.
Gretzky Estates, started in 2007, offers wine from Ontario, B.C. and the United States. The company also produces a line of whisky.
While the restaurant is quite a distance from the new Rogers Arena and the Edmonton Coliseum — the stadium Gretzky set countless records in — the dining room will feature Gretzky memorabilia.
The restaurant is a partnership with HMS Host, the world's largest provider of food and beverages in airports.
I suspect all our passengers can think of exactly 99 identical ideas on what they would most prefer to see at the grand opening.- Heather Hamilton
Heather Hamilton, director of public affairs at Edmonton International Airport, said the restaurant is a little ahead of schedule and opened for business Friday. However, there is not a confirmed date for a grand opening.
"I suspect all our passengers can think of exactly 99 identical ideas on what they would most prefer to see at the grand opening," she wrote in an email to CBC.
"We're from Edmonton, we get it!"