In just over a week, the Northern will re-open its doors.
“We’re going to start with a soft opening for family and friends on Wednesday,” said Todd Shipley, owner of the Northern and Picnic.
Shipley has a lot of restaurant experience and is hoping that the soft opening will help work out some of the kinks before the official opening on Friday night.
A Guinness poster that Shipley has hanging in his apartment inspired the décor of the Northern.
“I’m using a lot of black, brown and tan,” he said.
Guinness will also be on tap as part of a selection of 12 beers and a cider will be served.
Rich hard wood was being laid on Monday morning when Shipley gave The Free Press a sneak peek of the new renovations.
A communal table will be incorporated in the back of the space to help avoid the bottleneck problem that was common at Bulldogs.
The Northern is also incorporating a new mascot. Steve the moose was purchased in Whitefish, but is originally from Vernon.
“Doesn’t he just make you want to drink a beer?” said Shipley.
For the menu of the Northern, Shipley said he wanted to take the food Bulldogs was serving and make it better.
Shipley worked with Chef Keith Farkas from Picnic restaurant, and a chef from one of Shipley’s Calgary restaurants to come up with the new menu.
“There is going to be a double dog, which was really popular at Original Joes, and we are going to bring in a Northern noodle bowl,” he said.
The soft opening for the Northern is on June 1, and the official opening will be on June 3.