West End pub seeks to be local hub

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This article was published 25/07/2024 (471 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A years-long passion project is nearing its end — and a new beginning for what is hoped to be a longtime West End “neighbourhood hangout.”

King Cob Market Pub owner/operator Darryl Friesen is finishing up renovations of the former storefront at 580 Ellice Ave. (next door to the West End Cultural Centre). He is eager for it to become a local hub.

“Our inner cities don’t have a lot of them compared to other cities,” Friesen said Wednesday. “We’re slightly getting a little bit better at the West Broadway area and Wolseley area — you’ve got a few nice places — but if you go to the North End or the West End, there’s next to nothing.”

Friesen began updating the Spence neighbourhood building five years ago, during evenings and weekends. The interior has almost completely been redone, including electrical work, plumbing and flooring.

When he was laid off from his job as a software developer after 20 years, Friesen used the change to pursue the renovation work full-time.

He sold his house around the corner to help pay for the final push, and moved into the top half of the Ellice Avenue building — an original house Friesen believes was built around 1904.

“To me, it’s kind of like a neighbourhood hangout… for adults — just a place to meet and hang out,” he said of his new venture. “Hopefully, I’ve created an environment that really welcomes you to be here and make a new friend.”

“Hopefully, I’ve created an environment that really welcomes you to be here and make a new friend.”–Darryl Friesen

Friesen is filling its taps with locally made beer and keeping its music playlists mostly local. There will be no TVs showing sports; a small menu inspired by southern U.S. food is in the works.

“I’ve always been a strong supporter of the local scene. I do love my beer and the beer scene has gotten really quite good,” Friesen said. “Other people have since proven to me that my idea is valid and you can easily have nothing but local beers on tap.”

Friesen said he doesn’t know the origin of the King Cob Market Plus sign that hangs on the side of the former storefront, but decided the name had a nice ring to it. Inside, he’s added a lot of personal touches, such as creating a ceiling design based on his mom’s crazy quilt designs.

Staff at the West End Cultural Centre are excited for the addition of another business at the corner of Ellice and Sherbrook Street.

“To me, the opening of the King Cob Pub is the fulfillment of a potential that has been at this corner for a long time,” said Jason Hooper, executive director. “The potential won’t be fully realized, but it’s another piece of the puzzle to get there.”

“It creates another community space that currently doesn’t exist in the West End and that West Enders deserve to have,” added WECC artistic director Jorge Requena Ramos. “Being able to generate that space in the neighbourhood is a really good thing. We’re creating a… cultural corner here. It’s a grounding corner for the West End.”

Although Friesen said he’s a little anxious about the work ahead of him and the challenges of running his own business, the support he’s received from the community has kept him going.

Friesen is awaiting inspections before setting an opening date, but anticipates to be pulling pints at King Cob Market Pub in a month or so.

jura.mcilraith@freepress.mb.ca