Iconic Davie Village bar set to expand

Fans of the iconic Fountainhead Pub on Davie Street can rejoice as the business is expanding its location.

Vancouver city council unanimously approved the proposal on Tuesday’s council meeting.

This decision comes after city staff initially rejected the plan, saying the application violated a policy about the distance required between establishments with liquor licences. This would have meant the Fountainhead could only expand if it operated two separate businesses.

But on Tuesday, the proposal to double the size of the pub was approved.

"We were waiting for a long time. Our staff were wondering, people in the street were wondering, the community was wondering the whole time. It's just nice to finally have it done,” said bar manager Torey Hale,

The bar is now allowed to take over its neighbouring space (1027 Davie St.)

Once the expansion is complete, it can serve 65 more people indoors and an additional 19 people in its outdoor patio.

The bar will have to follow certain conditions to ensure things like noise levels are managed.

“The requirement for a Time-Limited Development Permit, a Good Neighbour Agreement and submission of an acoustical report will provide the necessary controls to ensure the premise operates in a manner that will mitigate impacts to the neighbourhood and surrounding area,” read council’s report.

Hale said expanding such spaces is significant for the LGBTQ community.

“We lost a lot over COVID. We lost a couple bars. We cut a lot of the community presence, so it’s just kind of nice to have something to look forward to,” he said.

“Putting something here to have more gay spaces is super important,” he added.