Arts and Culture

Rebrand of local bar in the Mission promises more live events

Runaways Lounge remodeled to embrace ‘real rock’ venue

There’s a whole new look and feel to a well-known music venue in the Mission the new owners hope will prompt a resurgence in music that breaks from the downtown core.

A recent makeover drew in a crowd at the grand opening of Runaways Lounge, entertaining those who attended with a back-to-back show of comedy and music.

The bar has gone through many names in the past, formerly Pheasant & Quail, and most recently Mission Taphouse, but new owners, Dan Bernier and Dave Myers, said the rebrand embraces letting the night ‘run away’ from patrons.

“We’re trying to give the Mission a place that they can stop at and have a great entertainment venue right here in the Mission instead of having to go downtown,” Bernier told Kelowna10. “We want to have a place that young, medium, and old can all enjoy right here in the Mission.”

Bernier said they’re trying to recapture the former glory of the location when it was known as the Pheasant & Quail. They want to make the location a landmark again.

A change of name was not the only big move for the establishment, with a completely updated kitchen and menu, as well as changes to the layout to better suit their focus for live entertainment.

“We really need to become the community spot that everyone knows,” Myers said. “There’s going to be entertainment here every day of the week.”

Myers laments the loss of many live venues and wants to provide an accessible space for local musicians and performers alike.

“There are so many good musicians here in Kelowna. The problem is that no one has a place to play,” Myers explained. “We wanted to have a full-service, real rock bar where people can get up and really put their music skills to the test with other musicians who want to play with them.”

The lounge plans on hosting regular and junior jam nights to foster fledgling musicians of all ages.

“We’d love to see more live venues pop up so that Kelowna can continue to be a hub for awesome music,” Bernier said.

Published 2022-08-23 by Robin Liva

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