New Ceili's Vancouver
Poised for Grand Opening
By CATHOLINE BUTLER
VANCOUVER - After much anticipation and speculation, Ceili's has finally opened its first Irish pub in Vancouver. After a soft opening to help iron out some of the kinks before Paddy's Day, a grand opening is planned for the end of February or early March.
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| Ceili's Vancouver |
Ceili's is located at the corner of Granville and Smithe Street, in the building formerly known as the Skybar restaurant. Ceili's have several locations in Alberta, with an excellent reputation and concept for running successful Irish pubs.
Recently with renovations in full-swing, I dropped in to have a look at the newest Ceili's in Vancouver. I wanted to see how it would compare to their flagship operation in Calgary and the Edmonton location. With two floors and a roof-top patio, it seems to resemble the Calgary Ceili's.
I spoke with Alison Robertson, the sales and marketing co-ordinator for Ceili's Vancouver, about the concept for the Vancouver location. She explained that the entry level off Smithe Street will be more like a reception area with a waiting or holding area and coat check.
The second floor is where all the action will be happening, with the main bar area and entertainment section. There is a smaller room called the Banshee Room which can be booked for private parties, meetings and corporate events. In addition, there is also the roof-top patio, just as they have in Calgary. All-in-all, Ceili's can accommodate approximately 500 people.
There will be live music five nights a week. Tuesday, is neighbourhood and unplugged night with a live guitarist and a taste of Ireland beer paddle, which offers a taste opportunity for anyone not familiar with say, Harp, Guinness and Kilkenny, to try some of Ireland's great ales.
Wednesday, is student and industry night, with entertainment by DJ Russell James. Thursday is Celtic Kitchen party with a live Celtic band and some of the entertainment already booked includes: Tiller's Folly, Ballyhooley, and Murphy's Lagh to name a few.
Friday and Saturday there will be a cover band with various types of music that you can sing along with or dance to. But if you aren't into bands, there is still the bar area where guests can relax.
Speaking about food, Alison said, "we will of course have all the traditional pub dishes, such as boxty, bangers and mash, and a great Guinness with mussels dish. Our food will have a west coast flavour because of all the fresh seafood available. We will also serve an almost all day breakfast. Every week, we will be doing a special food feature for our kitchen party and monthly food features."
Mark Reid, the new general manager for Ceili's was born and raised in Vancouver and has extensive training in the hospitality business.
Speaking about the demographics in the downtown area of Vancouver, Mark said, "the downtown area of Vancouver has become much more residential and I see the area moving much more towards a pub culture. People are looking for that neighbourhood feel, and I think Ceili's is a great fit for the area."
Ceili's is the only Irish pub in downtown Vancouver with a roof-top patio, and one other really nice additional perk is their valet parking, because as anyone who has ever tried to find parking downtown knows, that can be a major headache.
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