The Senator Hotel and Conference Centre has been an iconic business in Timmins for decades. The dining room at the Senator has been the place to be seen — and noticed — by the who’s who in Timmins.
Renovations have been ongoing throughout the hotel since it was purchased two years ago by MBE Inc. Group. Recently, the restaurant at the Senator re-opened after extensive renovations, which has the head of MBE excited.
Syed Mansoor Ali Naqvi is president and CEO of MBE Inc. Group. He was in Timmins not long after the restaurant relaunched.
“We just recently renovated the whole hotel here,” he explained. “Also, for almost two years there’s been no restaurant … so we recently open the restaurant, which is an icon in Timmins.
“It’s an icon of the city, so we’re working very hard that any branding that’s here is still the Senator.”
He believes residents and visitors will be impressed with the dining room.
“It’s a brand new restaurant,” Mansoor Naqvi said. “Our chef is a very popular chef, Mr. Ivan. He’s been at the restaurant a very long time and most people know him. He makes great food.
“It is a full-scale restaurant. We have room service as well. We have a full dinner menu and wine.”
As in the past, the Senator can host parties of any size and make them special.
“If there is a party, it can be booked for special occasions,” he said. “Smaller parties can book (in the restaurant’s dining room). For larger parties, we have the banquet hall.”
The menu is extensive at the Senator. Some dishes have become local favourites.
“Steak and fish are very popular,” Mansoor Naqvi said. “The grilled or fried fish, people are coming from all over for that one.
“We have daily specials every day, especially Tuesday and Wednesday.”
He said people can look for a special deal in the near future, with details to be announced.
“We are also launching very soon, (a special where) one person eats and the other person can eat free,” he said.
Mansoor Naqvi said the Senator is not the only hotel owned by BSE. In fact, it is a large, diversified company.
“We own 14 businesses across North America,” he said. “We do the processing POS, we do ATM, we publish a magazine, we have a big accounting firm, we are in the IT side, we are in insurance … we are pretty large.”
With the restaurant’s renovations complete, he hopes to restore its past glory and more.
“Our goal with the Senator is to keep the brand up,” Mansoor Naqvi said. “There is a proud history here in Timmins that people respect and we want to keep the brand up.
“Please come and try the Senator, under new management and definitely you will enjoy it here.”
The Senator Hotel and Conference Centre is located at 14 Mountjoy St. S in Timmins. The dining room is open Monday through Saturday from 5 - 10 p.m.
The restaurant does accept walk-in traffic, but for special days, such as Valentine’s Day, reservations are recommended. For more information contact the hotel at 705-267-6211, visit them online or find them on Facebook.
