A landmark Kitsilano pub is entering a new era.
Bimini's Pub and Lounge, formerly Bimini's Beer Hall, was owned by the Donnelly Group for years. The operator of numerous restaurants and bars in the city such as Gastown's Lamplighter and Yaletown's Stock Room, Donelly rebranded in early 2022 as Freehouse Collective.
Earlier this year, however, after a long time on the market, Bimini's came under new ownership and a new vision.
"I want to make the space absolutely safe for the queer community and for the women," Shae Lamba tells V.I.A. of the now queer and woman-owned space.
But, because Bimini's was "a very famous bro bar" in Vancouver, such a polar turn may come with its own obstacles which Lamba confidently shrugs off as simply inevitable hurdles in her venture. "Obstacles and challenges are everywhere," she notes.
But what exactly does Lamba's vision look like in real life?
What's new at Bimini's?
While many things have changed, such as a revised cocktail and food menu and a mostly queer and women staff, the most notable difference - or, rather, addition - is the newly launched Bimini's House of Queer.
While it is a part of Lamba's vision, it isn't directly attached to Bimini's. Instead, it runs parallel to the establishment as a digital queer events platform. In fact, queer events are a new highlight of the space, with gatherings like a monthly drag brunch and weekly karaoke parties, friend-making socials, and DJ nights.
Bimini's will also ditch the dim atmosphere of the pub's "bro bar" past, remodelling the exterior with a new paint job and a pride flag and redecorating the interior to make it more queer-friendly.
"At the moment it's bright and welcoming, and in the coming months you will see the colours coming in," shares Lamba, adding that she's scouting out local muralists to adorn the pub with queer- and women-themed designs.
While still a pub by night, Bimini's will also eventually be a vibrant lunch spot during the day, opening at noon on weekdays for lunch and happy hour and at 11 a.m. on weekends for brunch.
'There's always a need for women's safety and queer safety'
Although Vancouver has a prominent queer community and many welcoming and safe spaces for queer individuals, Lamba points out that there is still some catching up to do when it comes to women's safety and spaces specifically for queer women and lesbians.
"There's always a need for women's safety and queer safety," says Lamba. "As a society, we're not there yet – we will one day for sure – when women can just walk into anywhere and they don't feel intimidated or unsafe."
With Bimini's, Lamba hopes to create a much-needed safe space for women, both queer and heterosexual.
So far, locals have shown great support for Bimini's new look and the pub's new owner feels an immense gratitude for the community's welcome.
"I want genuinely for women and queer people to have a safe space at all times of the day," she says.
Bimini's is located at 2010 W 4th Ave in Vancouver and is currently open daily from 4 p.m. until 2 a.m. Follow @biminispub on Instagram for updates.
