A Granville Street staple since the early 2000s, Johnnie Fox's Irish Snug has recently closed the doors to its downtown pub and restaurant.
Johnnie Fox's announced in late June the pub was closing for good due to failed lease negotiations with the landlord.
"This was a very difficult decision to come to," explains the pub to its loyal fans in its closing announcement, "especially having navigated the last 18 months with all of your help."
The pub had been pouring pints at 1033 Granville Street since 2004, offering folks a spot to watch sports, tuck into pub fare, and have some drinks.
However, Johnnie Fox's can now welcome patrons in a bigger space; the pub-restaurant has essentially relocated to the Olympic Village area.
Johnnie Fox's Irish Pub, as the "brother" operation is called, is open at 1601 Main Street. Call it the luck of the Irish when it comes to finding a new space: Johnnie's took over what had previously been the Vancouver outpost of Whistler-based Dubh Linn Gate, another Irish pub.
Dubh Linn Gate's Vancouver operation, which launched in 2015, filed for bankruptcy in October 2020. The venue, however, had been closed since coronavirus (COVID-19) restrictions forced restaurants and bars to close to in-person dining - and drinking - in mid-March of that year.
The new Johnnie Fox's Irish Pub on Main opened in early July. The pub has live music, pool tables, and is pouring Guinness.
