The Portside Pub, the latest venture by Save On Meats entrepreneur Mark Brand, opens today in Gastown.
The pub, at 7 Alexander Street, takes inspiration from the East Coast pub culture that Brand knows well – and something he feels Vancouver lacks.
“Our vision is to make Portside the friendliest pub in Vancouver, where anyone and everyone feels at home,” he said.
According to Brand, the pub will focus on craft beer and local music.
Brand said the new pub has been renovated to “celebrate the beauty of the original historic Gastown building.” The pub’s interior includes sandblasted walls and old exposed brick and timbers.
Brand said he hopes that the pub will be a new hub for the local music scene.
Brand, a social entrepreneur, is planning to launch a charitable foundation next month to provide stable funding for Save On Meats’ subsidized meal and employment training programs.
