Pair of businesses set to open shop on Quinpool Road shows growth potential for the area

A new craft brewery and taproom with a retail shop will open on Quinpool Road Friday, just in time for the weekend.

Garrison Brewing held a soft launch for its new venture The Oxford, where they’ll serve and sell local suds while paying homage to the cinema and film culture that existed there, as they reimagine the corner space of the historic Oxford Theatre building at 6414 Quinpool Road.

“I knew this building was important to people, which is why it was important to me, which is why I was interested in checking it out,” said Brian Titus, co-founder and president of Garrison Brewing.

Since renovations began last winter, Titus says the support from the community has been overwhelming and he believes the Quinpool district is on the cusp on a business boom.

“Yeah, I am excited,” he said.

“There’s a lot of things on the books and they are starting to happen right now on this street. So again, we are the first I’d say of many things to come to this area.”

Next door in the main theatre portion of the building, a new 7,000-square-foot rock wall and climbing gym is under construction that will be run by East Peak Climbing.

It’s anticipating a population boom expected to hit the Quinpool district, with several multi-storey residential condo buildings in different phases of development.

Down the road, near the corner of Quinpool Road and Robie Street, the Cheeky Neighbour Diner and its owner, Drew Voegeli, predicts a lot of hungry customers coming to the area in the near future.

“There’s a big building going up over there, there’s a huge one over there,” he points out the window of his retro-chic diner that will serve up feel-good meals.

“I think Quinpool is having a bit of a resurgence here.”

Voegeli operated the burger restaurant Relish for seven years in the same locations before he decided to renovate and change his focus, but he says he’s seen a changing demographic on the block already.

“There’s been a lot of turnover just in the seven years we’ve been here,” he said. “But the outlook for the next 10 years down the road looks great.”

The Cheeky Neighbour has yet to officially open, but is serving tacos over the next few days as part of the inaugural taco week to raise funds for Feed Nova Scotia. They expect to have a soft launch soon.

For Karla Nicholson, general manager of Quinpool Road Mainstreet District Association, these openings are something to celebrate.

“There will be thousands more living here in the not-too-distant future,” said Nicholson. “It all works with what the city wants, being closer to amenities like the hospital and green spaces and to the downtown and hopefully it will make for less traffic on the peninsula.”

With new businesses opening, up it means jobs, too — and that bodes well for the local economy.

With The Oxford opening on Friday at noon, Titus says it will mean six new full-time jobs for his team, with part-time positions as well.