Domino's Pizza in Inglewood sparks backlash from residents

Residents of one of Calgary's quirkiest and most charming neighbourhoods say the character of the community is under threat because of a popular restaurant chain.

Plans for aDomino's Pizzain Inglewood sparked a backlash from residents living in the area, which was voted the best neighbourhood in Canada in 2014.

• Inglewood named Canada's greatest neighbourhood

"Inglewood is one of a kind. It's made up of fantastic, vibrant, independently-owned businesses," said resident Andrea Pahl in an interview with CBC's CalgaryEyeopener.

"I can walk into over a dozen shops along Ninth Avenue, and the merchants know me by name. They ask how my family is doing,"Pahl said.

"Allowing a mega-corporation such as Domino's into our hood, it erodes that feeling. It erodes the Inglewood brand, and it opens the doors up to other big box chains, and it won't make us any different from all the other communities across Canada."

The neighbourhood has been home to a Starbucks franchise for roughly eight years, but Pahl said the circumstances surrounding the opening of that major chain were different.

"Inglewood was in a different place at that time. It was just starting to blossom. Starbucks represented the idea that we could then be recognized by other people and other neighbourhoods," she said.

Domino's says it will addjobs

In a statement to CBC NewsDomino's Pizza,which already has 17 established locations in Calgary,said their brand is "made up of thousands of small, independent business owners, who often live in those communities."

The company was also quick to point out that this newrestaurant would open up more than a dozenjobs.

Pahl, however, said the overall impact in the community would be negative.

"It's a Calgarian man who is trying to do this, and we will be 100 per cent behind this man if he wants to open up a restaurant of his own, but this is money that's leaving the neighbourhood," she said.

"Locally-owned businesses build strong communities. They create a sense of place and identity, and I don't think Domino's will do that in our neighbourhood."