Arcadia Bar

Darren McGeown comes across as a bit of a rebel among bar owners. While most places offer the usual greasy pub grub, his Arcadia Bar serves up everything vegetarian or vegan. As most watering holes search the globe for the most exotic beers around, Darren stays local. And, with most venues searching for the trendiest acts to fill their spaces, the bar owner mixes it up with eclectic entertainment and anything else that might seem out of the ordinary. But then, Arcadia is hardly a conventional hangout.

But, Darren says his dream for the bar is an amalgamation of experiences he's collected after visiting numerous pubs around the world. “It’s just a result of ideas after being in Liverpool, Riga, Amsterdam and Ireland, ” he says about the inspiration for Arcadia, which opened in 2014. “They're just small bars where you get a sense of a better atmosphere, in a small space, people are having a good time and sitting beside each other.”

Darren also avoided the temptation to open a nightspot downtown or in Old Strathcona, districts already congested with bars, opting for the more idyllic surroundings of Westmount, just northwest of the city core. “I always felt there was a good vibe in the Westmount community, where there are really cool independent businesses,” he says. “I think every business owner around here is very proud to be in a spot like this; there are good people who think and act locally.”