The owners of a successful pub in Sandwich Town have branched into another historic burrow of Windsor.
Mark Boulay and Aron Godfrey founded The Barrel House on the corner of Sandwich and Mill St. back in 2013 — now they're expanding into Walkerville to fill a void left by the late Mark Boscariol.
They'll be opening 1840 Social Resto-Bar with co-owner Jaden Plaunt on the corner of Wyandotte St. E. and Chilver Rd. It's the former location of Good Neighbour, a family restaurant Boscariol had just opened before his death last year.
Plaunt tells AM800 News Boscariol’s legacy played a big role in choosing the location.
"Mark was a light for everybody in this industry, he ran three very successful restaurants and I hope that we can kind of be the spiritual successor to the Good Neighbour in that sense," he says. "We want people to be social, we want people to come out and enjoy themselves."
With everything from Irish pubs to fine dining in the revitalized area of Walkerville, Plaunt hopes 1840 Social can be a little bit of everything.
"We want to be in between the high end and the low end, something where anyone can go, but you can also go for a special occasion," says Plaunt, who also serves as the general manager at The Barrel House.
The entire building has been redone with the addition of custom artwork and murals, according to Plaunt.
While the trio are creating something new, he says their predecessor's focus on community will live on.
"We're trying to make a spot where people feel comfortable, they can come be social, they can have their anniversary, their birthday party, and somewhere they can come for drinks after work or dinner with their friends," Plaunt says.
The resto-bar opens its doors to the public Friday.