‘Endless opportunity in this place’

Winnipeggers have a new option for food and entertainment in the Polo Park area.

River City Sports Bar & Events Centre celebrated its grand opening on Friday (with its soft opening to the public today). Located at 300-1395 Ellice Ave., the 15,000-square-foot, multi-purpose facility includes a sports bar that hosts live music, comedy, karaoke and major sporting events.

The building also includes a poker room and an events centre for weddings, socials, conferences and other private functions.

“The idea is to be a step above — give Winnipeg a new experience,” co-owner Mike Rozak said Friday. “We’re up for anything, as long as it’s legal.”

Rozak has been a Liquor, Gaming and Cannabis Authority of Manitoba-licensed gaming service supplier for nearly 20 years. At a time in life when many people are slowing down, the 73-year-old wanted to start a sports bar and a dedicated space for poker, so he could continue to help charitable organizations run fundraising events.

Rozak is joined in the ownership group by his wife, Adeline, and Mark Golub and Sunil Krishnan.

The group took possession of the building at the end of February, and started renovations shortly thereafter. Their original plan was to spend $200,000. “We have exceeded that substantially,” Rozak said.

Sports memorabilia and photos of Winnipeg line the walls of the bar. Patrons can order food from Bazaar & Bayan Kitchen, the in-house restaurant, where the menu includes traditional North American pub fare alongside dishes inspired by the owners’ Filipino and Middle Eastern heritage.

Adjacent to the bar is a 1,650-sq.-ft. room with 11 poker tables, and down the hall is the 400-seat events centre.

Golub calls the combination of a sports bar, poker room and events centre “a perfect trifecta.”

“There’s endless opportunity,” the 49-year-old said. “That’s what we see as entrepreneurs: there’s endless opportunity in this place for all kinds of things.”

The building previously housed the Anavets John Osborn VC Unit #1 for about 25 years.

The veterans club was named after John Osborn, who was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross — the highest and most prestigious decoration of the British decorations system.

While fighting in the Second World War, he threw himself on a live grenade. It exploded and killed him, but Osborn’s self-sacrifice saved the lives of other members of his company.

River City’s owners are not abandoning the Osborn name, Rozak said. They’ve named the events centre the John Osborn VC Hall and are working on a biographical display board to mount at the hall’s entrance.

The Rozaks are Canadian Armed Forces veterans themselves, with 68 years of service between them.

Krishnan, meanwhile, was born and raised in India, before moving to South Africa, where he became a serial entrepreneur and restaurateur. He moved to Winnipeg in early 2024.

Golub is a teacher at Grant Park High School, who also runs photography and nutrition businesses.

“This is a culmination of everything I’ve done in the last 25 years,” he said. “I’ve served in restaurants, I’m into sales, I’m into entrepreneurship, I like customer service a lot (and) I love poker.”

Golub added he enjoys making connections between his entrepreneurial pursuits and the classroom. “(My students have) been hearing about my journey and I love sharing with them to try to tie it into the curriculum when I can.”

The calendar at River City is already filling up.

The event centre is holding an open house and wedding showcase on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., and the sports bar is hosting a comedy night on Tuesday, karaoke on Wednesday and a free Latin dance class for beginners on Thursday.

“We’ve tried to make this facility usable by the community,” Rozak said, adding that the owners are planning to install VLTs in the coming months.

River City Sports Bar & Events Centre has “just under 20” employees, said Megan Kravetsky, general manager. It’s open from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m., seven days a week.

aaron.epp@freepress.mb.ca