City of Mississauga imposes new restaurant restrictions at Ridgeway Plaza after past complaints

After many complaints about Ridgeway Plaza about issues such as noise, congestion and security, the City of Mississauga is imposing new restrictions on restaurants at the west-end destination.

During a meeting at Mississauga city hall on Wednesday, city council passed a major bylaw amendment that would change limits on how many restaurants can operate in the plaza. One of the goals is to reduce the number of restaurants by 15 per cent.

Under the new rules, current establishments will still be allowed to operate but won’t be able to expand existing space. City staff said the 15-per-cent reduction would come as businesses naturally close down over time.

A petition against the changes was also presented to council on Wednesday, arguing there could be job losses and a drop in revenue.

Ward 8 Coun. Matt Mahoney represents the area where Ridgeway Plaza is located. He addressed the issue during a committee meeting earlier in January.

“The goal here was to find a proper balance. We don’t want to hurt the businesses that are currently there,” Mahoney said.

“What we’re trying to do is get back to a spot where we have sufficient parking, where we’re able to keep safety within the plaza, and those are the areas that I think are going to be addressed through this long-term.”

There are currently more than 100 establishments, but it’s been argued that there are not enough parking spots to accommodate the traffic. 

A study done on behalf of the City of Mississauga found that the lack of parking is part of what has led to an influx of traffic, noise and safety concerns, especially during evening and weekend periods. 

Municipal officials said there have been 112 complaints since 2022.

Ridgeway Plaza made headlines in 2025 after the City of Mississauga obtained a temporary injunction to crack down on gatherings on the property.

However, the changes are leaving business owners and operators at Ridgeway Plaza with mixed feelings.

Manjot Singh, the operator of Brar’s Erin Mills, is among those who are sharing frustrations.

“It makes no sense to me at all. Why are we being penalized for it? Matter of fact, it should be the City of Mississauga held accountable,” he told The Leader Spirit.

Singh said while he’s happy that Brar’s won’t have to make any reductions to its operations, it didn’t have to come to this. 

“The City was well aware for the last three years that the number of restaurants being opened in this plaza [is] not feasible. There’s not enough parking. There was already congestion from day one,” he said.

Restaurant owners and operators also argued that they’re being left with the financial burden of increasing security in the area. Singh said plaza tenants collectively are having to foot bills amounting to nearly $200,000.

“With such shrink(ing) margins, we’re operating at such a thin line. Every dollar matters, and the City shouldn’t just impose these bills onto us. They should seek a resolution,” he said.

Mahoney wasn’t available for an interview with The Leader Spirit, but said he met with a business association representing establishments at the plaza Wednesday afternoon to talk about how to address the nuisance issues without impacting businesses.

With files from Nick Westoll