‘Story of perseverance’: Jasper restaurant opens in Calgary after wildfire devastation

After enduring years of hardship, including a global pandemic and devastating wildfires, Jasper’s beloved dessert café Wafflato is turning a new page—this time in Calgary.

Wafflato Café and Bar is officially opening its doors in downtown Calgary at the corner of 9 Street and 10 Avenue SW, marking a significant milestone for owner Suhas Sawant and his family.

The new location is not just a business expansion—it’s a symbol of resilience.

Founded in 2020, Wafflato’s journey has been anything but smooth. The café was unable to host a grand opening due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Then, in the summer of 2024, wildfires ravaged the town of Jasper, forcing the Sawant family to evacuate to Edmonton and abandon their home and three restaurants.

“There were no words,” Sawant recalled. “It was like you completely lost your life, completely lost your land from your hand. It was like—are we starting from zero?”

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The family watched in horror as images of the destruction poured in.

“We got a picture saying that within four hours the town will be gone,” Sawant said. “One of the hotels blew off, then the Petro-Canada blew off, Esso blew off. So it was scary.”

Miraculously, their home and businesses survived, but not without damage. The restoration process took months and cost approximately $150,000.

“Wafflato took a long time to come back,” Sawant said. “The fire was too close. A couple of blocks down, some of our colleagues lost their restaurants. Five blocks down the road, all your neighbours have gone completely.”

Yash Karkera, a Wafflato employee of five years, was part of the cleanup team.

“There was a lot of food wasted, and all the equipment we had… it was a blank canvas after the cleaning process,” he said. “That was one of the bad experiences I had.”

Despite the challenges, the Sawant family was overwhelmed by the support they received from the Jasper community and visitors from across Alberta. That outpouring of love inspired them to expand their vision to Calgary.