Iconic downtown restaurant Mitzi’s owner Shirley Eng passes away at 78 [Video]

Shirley Eng, the charismatic, down-to-earth owner of the famous chicken finger restaurant Mitzi’s, unexpectedly passed away at the beginning of December at age 78, according to her family.

“I think that people will never forget my mom, there’s no way you can forget somebody who’s given her whole life to serving a community you can’t forget, how she made you feel,” said Irene Wallin, Eng’s daughter.

“My mom was iconic. She was legendary. She was a staple, an institution in downtown Winnipeg. I’m grateful that I got to be a small piece of it.”

Mitzi’s closed down in April 2024 when Eng retired after serving comfort food with a smile for 46 years.

Eng, born in Canton, China, in 1946, moved to Winnipeg in 1972 to join her sister in Canada.

A photo of Shirley Eng growing up in China. Eng’s family estimates this photo is from the 1960s. (Supplied …