Downtown pub coming ‘back to life’
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 13/08/2022 (1290 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
A longtime pub is about to reopen its doors in downtown Brandon after nearly two and a half years, and the new owners are keeping the traditional relaxed atmosphere, comfort food and even the sports.
There aren’t too many changes to the Guinness Tavern by the Double Decker pub, said co-owner Niral Patel. He and business partner Darpan Patel changed the name to reflect the two establishments are linked as a bar and a pub, but it’s the same Double Decker pub as before.
“Everybody knows this place as the Double Decker pub, so we wanted to keep it that way,” he said.
Guinness Tavern by Double Decker co-owner Darpan Patel stands behind the bar at the Guiness Tavern on Rosser on Friday afternoon. (Matt Goerzen/The Brandon Sun)
It’s been a busy few months for the staff and management getting the tavern and pub ready, from cleaning, designing menus and hiring workers. Niral said most of the staff are new, except a pair who worked at the previous pub for about five years.
They are keen on preserving as much of the old look and atmosphere as they can, as well as a few features the old tavern and pub used to have.
“One thing people I was talking to wanted to see return was the UFC matches on the TV, and we are bringing those back,” he said. “A lot of them said that was what brought them into the pub and it was one of the few places in the city where they could watch it [without having to order it and watch it from home].”
The inside is pretty much the same for both the tavern and the pub, Niral said, but they have made it more appealing to a broader audience, starting with the hours. The tavern and pub used to open 3 or 4 p.m. To target the lunch crowds, they will be open 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. weekdays, and 11 a.m. to midnight weekends.
As well, the bar will feature 12 taps and several other bottled and canned brews, as well as mixed drinks.
To celebrate their hard work, the tavern and pub are holding a three-day grand opening starting Monday.
Each day will have a different theme, with Monday being 40 per cent off all food menu items.
“This is a way to get people to try the different food and see what they like.”
Tuesday will offer discounts on appetizers, and Wednesday will be wing day including special deals.
“We’ve been posting on social media for three months about reopening before we had a definite date, but now we have one. People are coming back. We have about 4,500 followers on Facebook and they are happy we are back in business.”
The original owners ran the establishment for about four months but were forced to close in April 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Niral explained. At the time, they were also building apartment units above the pub and tavern.
The Double Decker pub opened in 1994 and was a popular spot for people to stop in for a pint, watch games on the TV or play a few rounds of billiards.
Guinness Tavern by the Double Decker co-owner Darpan Patel stands behind the bar with a fresh martini Friday.
Having the pub reopen is a welcome sight and will likely bring back some nostalgia for some residents, as well as rebuild a community of patrons and become a neighbourhood hangout.
Brandon Chamber of Commerce president Tanya LaBuick recalled visiting the Double Decker when she worked for the Canada Games — now, she’s looking forward to stopping in once again.
“It’s an icon of the downtown,” she said. “It was a place where the beer and the food was good and it was a comfortable place to hang out. As president of the chamber, I say welcome back, and it’s great to see businesses come back to life and good on them for all the hard work and hurdles they managed and welcome them back into their membership.”
While the chamber represents all businesses in the Brandon area, LaBuick said the downtown used to be a lively place with a diverse business ecosystem. But as business expanded outward with box stores, new local shops and the Shoppers Mall, traffic has migrated away from the city’s core.
However, like the pub, there are plenty of positive changes coming to the downtown with entrepreneurs and like-minded people having discussions about how to revitalize and grow the downtown core, she said.
“We have some very strong, smart community giants that have some really good ideas and there have been a lot of conversations about how to get those people to the table,” she said. “It’s at a point where it can really move forward.”
» kmckinley@brandonsun.com
» Twitter: @karenelighmcki1