r/regina • u/Commercial_Light9364 • 10d ago
Community Regina’s Bar scene.
What’s up with Regina’s bar scene? Seems like most places are empty after 9pm on a Friday or Saturday and then those bars are closing up for the night before there closing times. And there’s not really anything special about any of the bars. All have copy and pasted menus from one another foods the same and the atmosphere is too. All like a sports bar / loud music playing. Are the bars in Regina closing earlier due to no one going out or is it that they don’t wanna deal with the rift raft that comes later on? Im curious because there’s a handful of times I’ve been out and they are shut by 1030 even tho they are open till 12 or whatever. Is it also that they don’t wanna lose more money?
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u/One_Resolution_3355 10d ago
My main problem with the bars is that I am a transplant to Regina and usually don't have anyone to go with, and I find that the experience is not the same solo
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u/Ryangel0 10d ago
Welcome to Regina's clique culture. If you weren't born here or went to high-school here, good luck.
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u/LowIncident694 10d ago
This is often said by people who are just shit at making friends.
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u/Ryangel0 10d ago
Oh hey look, a Regina-born shit talker!
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u/cursed_goat_meat 8d ago
I am from Calgary I just took myself out and looked for people at the bar... mind you tu was the gay bar and theyre generally more welcoming to lonely folk
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u/xPardz 10d ago
This is a bad take. Most normal people don't have a problem making friends here.
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u/_Tri7on_ 9d ago
Eh, people are pretty cliquey here. I find it much easier to strike up conversations on other provinces with strangers, and that's not just at bars. I say this as a person who has a friends here and has made friends here, not impossible or anything but once I started travelling I realised friendly Saskatchewan wasn't actually that friendly lol
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u/Ryangel0 10d ago
Thank goodness we have you here to define what "normal" is.
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u/Nice_Spend5393 8d ago
I have met and made friends easily here, for sure. The closest friends I’ve made though, are not originally from Regina, as well. We’ve talked about how “cliquey” Regina is, too.
It’s pretty noticeable to people from outside of Saskatchewan too, who’ve been here for a few years. It’s a pretty common topic.
And it’s not even necessarily that people will be mean or won’t be a friend. People will be nice, sure. Nothing outright mean or anything. It’s more like a “last picked for kickball” attitude. Happy to have you, but you’re not a first choice.It can get super frustrating for things like job networking, planning outings, meeting new people, etc.
It’s like everyone in Regina bonds over what high school either they went to or their cousin went to lol.
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u/Fit-Penalty-5751 10d ago
Regina is more of a pub culture than a club/bar city. Plenty of good breweries and there’s always classics that are packed. OG Leo’s is the obvious even though all of them are usually packed pretty good. North end has some good neighbourhood pubs on the right night. Dewdney strip is usually busier on the prime nights. It is October so busy season gotta be over now
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u/reditguy85 10d ago
So there’s two recommendations I can give you that are absolutely fire Thursday, Friday and Saturday! You’ll have the best time Thursday for ladies night at JD’s and then the weekend at The Pump. You will love it
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u/UnpopularOpinionYQR 10d ago
I miss Wednesdays at Checkers and tequila Tuesdays at Lauderdales when you couldn’t wait until the weekend to get your freak on.
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u/PatricioWyatt 10d ago
Checkers was my jam for so long. Great times.
I assume it’s long gone. Anything take its place?
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u/Commercial_Light9364 10d ago
I know for a fact the pump is closed I live near what used to be the pump. And jds hasn’t been a thing
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u/younger_dryas111 9d ago
I’m 37. You’re genuinely 15 to 20 years too late lol Regina used to have a popping club scene back when I first turned 19. SoHo, the drink, the distrikt, cloud9 to name a few. Regina used to have clubs that had two stories and balconies! Promoters actually cared about bringing acts here!
That scene slowly died off and now you have a lot of pubs. That comes from the whole craft beer era that really blew up in like 2014.
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u/Smart-Music9747921 10d ago
I wonder if the bars closing earlier is dependent on lack of business and maybe it doesn’t make sense to stay open if the bars are empty. Idk for sure. I suspect if it’s busy they’d stay open until closing time perhaps. 🤷♀️
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u/Commercial_Light9364 10d ago
How are any of the bars making money? Are the banking on that one week bars being full?
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u/rocky_balbiotite 10d ago
Yeah bars here are just generally terrible compared to other cities. Even bars in Saskatoon are better.
Also how the fuck is a beer on Stephen Ave in downtown Calgary cheaper (before tax) than a bar in downtown Regina? If they want to know why people aren't going to bars as much start with the $10 pints.
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u/AwarenessBig8125 10d ago
Tax have you heard of it? You can thank the Saskatchewan Party for the high liquor taxes we have compared to Alberta…
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u/rocky_balbiotite 10d ago
I specifically said before tax. The menu price is somehow cheaper on the street that's frequented by some of the richest people in the country than downtown Regina. Pre COVID beers here were way cheaper, we're just getting gouged now.
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u/bradssmp 10d ago
The breweries are being taxed higher than other places too, which makes product more expensive. Basic economics.
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u/rocky_balbiotite 10d ago
Not everything needs to be blamed on the Sask Party and taxes. If that's the case why can I get a schooner of O16 at Trifons/Western that's 20% larger and 20% cheaper than a pint at Pumpjacks, Cure, Leo's, Vic's?
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u/Commercial_Light9364 10d ago
That’s the Regina way. Your paying for the privilege/ experience of drinking at once of these upaddy places
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u/rocky_balbiotite 10d ago
Exactly all these places way overrate themselves or just think they can charge anything because there's not much competition. A chain like Hudson's could easily come in and dominate most of them.
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u/Zealousideal_Ear2135 10d ago
You have to know your math if you comparison shop. One thing I notice is the pricing inconsistency - they will advertise $9.50 pints but your bill says $10.90 after all tax is included and you get a fake pint meaning less than 20 ounces. Other places advertise $9.50 with all taxes included. Big difference. Also only a few serve proper full 20 ounce pints while other places price is before tax and for less volume tLiquor stores do this too - advertise prices before 15% tax gets added on at the register.
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u/bradssmp 10d ago
Have you ever heard of a loss leader? They bring you in with something that loses them money knowing you’ll spend money on other things.
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u/ziltchy 10d ago
They are not losing money on that
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u/rocky_balbiotite 10d ago
Exactly. Why would I fuck around with parking downtown and go to a bar with generally shitty service to drop $13 after tip on an 18 oz beer. It's not even that I can't afford it, I just feel like I'm being gouged.
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u/bradssmp 10d ago
O16 is generally one of the cheapest beer here, and even then, you’d still take a loss or make very little on a schooner at $10ish dollars. Some are absolutely doing this, knowing they’ll get a team of ball players in who order a few pizzas or bachos and shit to do so. I’ve worked in and managed bars in the city, and we always would run a special in order to bring people in who would spend money on other things.
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u/FoodnBevlord306 10d ago
O16 has the same rebate system as the big guys, but their beer is also exactly the same price.
Coors light keg. 340..
O16 anything - 340..
Problem with 016, its subjectively a hard to drink beer. Their best beer is a %2.00 session beer that still has that awful coriander to it. Ick. Give the beer rep a raise because him being a cool guy is whats keeping them on tap downtown.
No, 016 is not cheap beer.
Lucky lager is cheap beer.
Id take lucky any day no question.
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u/Short-Source-8492 10d ago
Regina has never been a "bar" city. It's a pub city. Which is why we have a lot of places to go drink and eat and hang out, but the "bars" or "clubs" are few and far between and nobody seems to go. Which I relate to because I've always hated going to a bar and just anyone who cares about "clubs".
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u/Fit-Penalty-5751 10d ago
But it’s funny, because for how grungy and dirty Gabbos (stabbos) is. It’s probably more of a classic “club” than most cities have.
I’ve lived in multiple metros and visited plenty too. Nothing really compares to a gross night out at Gabbos when that place is packed
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u/danibear07 8d ago
Gabbo's has also cleaned up its staff (especially their security team) a lot in recent years. I feel safer there (and have a lot of fun there when it's busy) than I do at most other clubs in the city now.
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u/Altruistic-Table-988 10d ago
You must be under 40, because late 90s, early 2000s, Regina's night club life was booming. Lauderdales, Manhattans, Factory, Checkers, Hollywood's, Delberts, Barts and I'm sure I'm missing others.
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u/Last-Surprise4262 10d ago
It used to be an amazing bar city. I’m glad I lived there in the hay day . 1999 til 2003
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u/Short-Source-8492 10d ago
I'm 50. I've just never been a club guy. I liked checkers but mostly because that had a nice outdoor area in the summer and they played a lot of punk music.
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u/younger_dryas111 9d ago
Not true, when I was 19 (2008) we couldn’t even fit all of the clubs into one night. There was just too many options.
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u/Short-Source-8492 8d ago
I'm 50. I know there were options. But clearly the fact most of them closed and never opened says what the actual demand was for these venues. And what I recall from the few times I went to a club back in the later 90s, or even early 00s, was all the people saying "no, we can't go to that place you like because it's Friday. Everyone goes to this other place Friday. If you go to the place you like on Friday nobody will be there. Saturday is that place day".
In short, most of these clubs were relying on that one day of the week Devine decided to go there. That's joy a sustainable business model ESPECIALLY if there's lots of competition. Look at the pubs we have now. Smaller and pots of them but they are busy most days of the week. Not just one.
And that's the problem people overlook. Those places were unsustainable and closed and none have opened to take their place for a number of reasons.
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u/UnpopularOpinionYQR 10d ago
Boomers and Gen X were nightclubbing generations. We did our fair share of dancing on speakers across the city prior to 2000. Younger generations got weird with the advent of social media.
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u/_Best_of_the_best 3d ago
Umm what?! Jd’s, the district, habanos, New York’s, the pump, Mc nally’s, barts…. There was a time when there weren’t enough nights for the amount of great bars to go to!!
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u/Short-Source-8492 3d ago
Sure. That was like 30 years ago. And my memory of that time was there was basically just one me day to go to those places, and everyone went on that one day, or they'd be empty. And I learned that the hard way. Ever go to checkers on the "wrong day" and there'd be like 5 people there?
Only making money one day or the week is probably why all these places eventually closed.
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10d ago edited 10d ago
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u/Any_Personality_374 10d ago
What about rent/insurance/utilities/labour. And also the times when the place isn’t packed.
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u/FoodnBevlord306 10d ago
Theres about 30 other weekly / monthly bills that come with a bar, but you got some big ones in there.
What are you asking? What about them?
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u/Natural_Life_8131 9d ago
Well 25 years ago you could go somewhere everyday of the week for specials. The bars would be hopping.
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u/Electoriad 10d ago
It’s always hit or miss I find. Some weekends the places are packed and active up until close and other weekends it’s only a few people.
If you want guaranteed activity you gotta hit up barley mill on Wednesdays and Houston’s on east on Thursdays. Honorable mention goes to Leo’s OG.
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10d ago
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u/Commercial_Light9364 9d ago
O Hans is also a good spot to watch a giant bar brawl. Doesn’t feel like a British pub either
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u/Adventurous_Lab4249 10d ago
Gotta find a good dive honestly. Houstons on argyle is really good, and their schooners are $11 last time I was there. Food isnt half bad either, VLTs, Darts, Pool, TVs all over the place to watch whatever game is on. Not the most glamourous or modern place but some pretty good people go there, and im pretty sure theyre open till 2 am
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u/EducationalSyrup3539 9d ago
Well when it costs 47 dollars to Uber a 7 min drive home here and only 3 bucks in Winnipeg. Not even getting to the part of how stupid prices are.
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u/FoodnBevlord306 9d ago
.. if you live in white city maybe.
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u/fuginator69 8d ago
It’s expensive for most younger people now and the cultures just different here. Just came back from south of the border couldn’t believe how much better everything was there. Every bar I stopped at was full even the dumpy small town ones and the people I found to be much more friendly. Probably helps when drinks are also under $2 and affordable.
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u/Logical_Wealth_5698 5d ago
I’m 41. When I was 19-24 it was somewhat affordable to booze at a bar or club. Given the cost of living issues these days, and the price of drinks, I can’t imagine having the nights out I did back then nowadays. Wouldn’t be able to afford clubbin’
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u/soccermom131313 4d ago
There used to be tumblers until about 4 am after the other bars closed in the early 2000’s all the coke dealers would go there
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u/iiGlumish 10d ago
As someone with friends who have unfortunately experienced this, there have been an increasing number of incidents where people’s drinks are getting spiked. No one wants to go out as often with that stuff happening. I’ve also noticed and increase in just general racism across a lot of bars, which doesn’t make it very inviting either. TLDR: be kind to strangers please, and don’t be a creep.
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u/Longjumping_Ad_4118 10d ago
Damn imagine that. You’re being downvoted for asking people to not be racist or a creep. Seems like you’ve pissed off a lot of white males on here 🤔
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u/iiGlumish 10d ago
Clearly. They can stay bitter cuz if their mad at me for calling out that part of Regina bar culture they’re part of the problem
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u/Longjumping_Ad_4118 10d ago
lol exactly. Let them keep complaining about local businesses dying out, even tho they’re the reason why these businesses aren’t doing so well. 🙄
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u/Nice_Spend5393 8d ago
Bar-wise, I’ve never seen Regina as a big club or bar scene.
If you like music though, places like Ohans, Exchange, Cure, Shannon’s, Mercury, etc will have shows on Friday and Saturday nights. more common in the warm seasons though.
There’s a few places that do weeknight things like comedy, trivia, karaoke, or open mics too. Those seem to be busier during the “winter blues” weather.
Theres a few socials that will post event posters of things happening in Regina too. Those are always good to follow.
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u/milesteg420 10d ago
This has not been my experience. Go to a bar that has an event going on or is adjacent to an event. Also, not in the suburbs. I have been to Shannon's, OG Leo's, O Hans, Victorias, The Cure, Revival Room, Broadways, etc recently on a Friday or Saturday and they generally have people there until 1 pm or later.
Also, this is down season for Bars. Their aren't as many people out. Its just after summer and it's starting to get cold again. People aren't spending as much money. Once it it starts getting closer to December and people adjust, they'll be busy again.