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Joe Slykerman
West Kelowna’s Kind Brewing will soon be expanding to offer a full “lounge” service.
The craft brewery has been open since December of 2017, running a tasting bar and small retail area.
Now, West Kelowna council has approved a lounge endorsement for the brewery, allowing it to expand its service and operate more like a traditional pub.
The endorsement will allow Kind to expand its operation to include the indoor “lounge,” as well as outdoor patio service.
In a letter to West Kelowna council, owner and brewer Joe Slykerman says his vision and hope is to “attract other similar and synergistic businesses to this area and bring a little more nightlife that in turn will attract more local and visiting patrons.”
Along with serving his beer at the expanded patio and “pub,” Slykerman says he hopes to offer fresh coffee, bottled water, and bottled juices—as well as a selection of cold-plate options including charcuterie, cheeses, salads, and breads.
He also says Kind will periodically feature live DJ nights, board games, and some special televised events.
West Kelowna council was mostly receptive to Slykerman proposal, but some did express concerns about parking in the area.
Citing a nearby business owner who said the expansion will bring more cars to the area and hamper her already precarious customer parking options, Coun. Carol Zannon said the biggest issue in West Kelowna is council allowing all kinds of things to be built and “people end up parking all over the place.”
According to city staff, Kind will have a capacity of 30 people, and the on-site parking the brewery provides meets the bylaw requirements.
Coun. Duane Ophus said there will come a time when future councils will have to deal with downtown parking, but that in the meantime today’s council should do “everything we can” to make it easy for businesses like Kind to flourish downtown.
Mayor Doug Findlater added that he wouldn’t even mind seeing some parking issues in downtown West Kelowna, because “it might be symptomatic of some vibrancy and activity in the downtown area.
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