Central Bar + Kitchen in Kelowna is expanding to accommodate its growing customer base.
The establishment markets themselves as not only a kitchen and bar, but a lifestyle where everyone fits in.
Located at 1115 Ellis Street in downtown Kelowna, Central has been a local favourite for the better part of a decade, serving gourmet food and craft beer for a modest price.
“We’ve been looking at doing an expansion at Central for a couple of years,” said co-owner Jared Lee.
“We identified a need in year three to have a larger space. Throughout the wintertime, we were seeing an influx of customers and we’re generating great new regulars in the community and we were finding it very challenging to sort of scale to growth with a space that only services 48 people through the winter.”
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After celebrating its sixth year in October, Central decided to expand to accommodate a capacity of about 100 people in the winter, while maintaining the intimate, homey vibe that locals have grown to love.
Central will be taking the shell of its seasonal patio and turning it into a full-size restaurant around it. The new space will have large-high ceilings and eight-foot windows that open all the way around to give an open-air vibe.
With the addition, Central’s guaranteed covered space will now accommodate 100 seats, rather than 48. There will also be a new outdoor seasonal patio that accommodates another 48 seats. The seasonal patio will run to the sidewalk on Ellis Street that should give a great curbside appeal for those walking by in the summertime.
In terms of the aesthetic for the expansion, Lee said Central wants to stay close to their roots.
“We’re taking a lot of the themes we initially built in our space and extending it,” said Lee.
“We’re elevating it a little bit, but it’s definitely west coast contemporary to fit with that modern touch, so a lot of natural finishes and exposed wood look. There will also be more natural light with the bigger windows.”
Central Kitchen + Bar will remain open during its renovations, which have already begun. Lee said the hope is for renovations to be completed by this summer.
For more information on Central Kitchen + Bar, visit their website.