Friday, November 27, 2015

Piper's Pub Nanaimo Closes Their Doors


Message posted on Piper's Pub Facebook page yesterday

It comes with great sadness that we have to announce that our journey here at Pipers has come to an end and we are closing the doors effective immediately.

We are very grateful for our time here and from our family here to yours, we wish to thank all of you in Nanaimo that have come out to support us, offer us advice, constructive criticism and/or kind words and hugs! We wish you all the best throughout the holiday season and beyond. 

We are trying very hard to contact everyone who had events booked with us, and are very sorry if there are some who we could not speak directly and have had to leave messages.
For any of the Amazing Bands that have played here we wish to also thank you, and apologize that we will not be blessed enough to have you back-you brought music into our lives that made us smile and dance, and all the fun times will never be forgotten:)


Note: I remember when Piper's first opened in the old location decades ago. Back then, they were the only reason you would venture that far out on Hammond Bay Rd., as there was not much else from there until you got to Lantzville. Another sign of the changing times, or the challenges faced by many of the drinking establishments these days. They must be hurting to close just before what usually should be a 'good' month for such establishments.

allvoices

9 comments:

  1. Nanaimo Council killed them by not supporting neighbourhood commercial and wifi. Now everyone can drive.

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  2. How about an aging population, strict drinking laws, and lack of dollars to spend?

    Pubs and night spots, like restaurants, come and go, but mostly go!

    everyone thinks they can open one, and it will do well 'this time round', because they will do it differently.

    Sorry it didn't work out, sign of the times.

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  3. How about ; too many outlets allowed to sell booze!
    We are almost at the stage where anyone with a business license can sell beer, wine or liquor.
    Look to the (greedy) Provincial Government who saw booze as a cash cow.
    Stupid is as stupid does ; see a success and emulate it until the market is saturated and the cash cow dies.
    Maybe we will be able to buy a Big Mac and a double Scotch sometime in the future?

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  4. Most Nanaimo pubs....crap beer served with crap deep fried 'pub food' while being forced to watch/listen to a dozen tv's. How about food unique to your pub with some nice craft beers unique to your pub and maybe a FEW tv's for those that want them?

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    Replies
    1. I agree. Most (not all) restaurateurs in this city are about as creative as white paint. The places with longevity tend to switch up their menus, and offer quality, fresh food with flair. Location is important too, but people (in large cities) will flock to a barren strip mall if the food is great.

      Hate to say it though, but most people in this city are either too frugal or wouldn't know good food if it landed in their lap. They're happy with deep fried crap as long as it's cheap. Eg: Earl's, which, although it was a chain, had pretty good food, closed, and in its place, another greasy spoon for the masses.

      And yes, enough with the damn TVs.

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  5. Right from the start the new location was designed to fail, ... The city of Nanaimo and developers has to look outside the box, and design a project that will draw people to it, and enhance the existing neighbourhood all at the same time, .. then a restaurant/pub might has a fighting chance at survival.
    The old thinking of the "this looks a good spot for a Pub, liquor store & Gas station" Has been out-dated since 1959.
    Nanaimo Co-op (Gas company) did not do proper market research right from start, now they are floundering trying to rezone the property, to dump their mistake on someone else. The building design is all wrong, and it will take more money to rebuild to something that will be productive, then if it was just raw land.

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  6. Used to go to Piper's somewhat regularly since the new location opened. It was always bustling the first few years and the food was pretty good, as was the service. The past year or two we noticed a remarkable decline. It was sparsely populated and the food had gone downhill bigtime.

    We were there about 2 months ago, ordered our beers and an order of potato skins. We were served 1 potato cut into 5 pieces, with hardly any stuff on it, on a lonely looking bare plate. $12.75 +tax for about $1.50 worth of flavourless potato. I said I was never going back. If you can't get the food right in a restaurant, why open the doors?

    We spend most of our pub time at Carlos O'Bryans, where the food (especially the soups) and service has always been very good and the location is better, right on the water.

    No doubt a new owner will rebrand and open the doors at "Piper's", and the crowds will come again, if they do it right. If they don't do it right, rinse & repeat.

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  7. The pubs in this town are boring, smelly throwbacks ! You want to open a thriving water hole ? check out all the micro breweries in Vancouver. A bit of a pub renaissance happening there.
    Case in point, 'Bier craft' check out the website, the menu, food and beer.

    no imagination in this town

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  8. I would just like to say that it's not just the cities fault but the two owners they went to big to fast they didn't Concider what the people that went there to the old Piper's wanted the new building was set up so backwards it was to noise and to big ...home the new owners can figure it out ...this pub needs service caring service and good down home cooking :) let's see what happens

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