The owner of Beyond the Pale Brewing Co., which took over the space in the ByWard Market previously occupied by the Courtyard Restaurant, says his location is doing its best to accommodate events and market itself as an event venue.
Beyond the Pale, which also operates a location in the City Centre complex, took over the George Street location in September last year. The space had been occupied by the Courtyard, which closed its doors in February 2024 after 40 years in business. The closure affected a number of people who had events and weddings planned.
“We’ve got this gorgeous, big, open space and that’s pretty much how (Courtyard) was making their money for the past number of years,” said co-founder Rob McIsaac. “I’d say we’ve had a few people reach out who had been there, but I can imagine if you’d been burned by a place that might have left a bad taste in your mouth.”
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In an effort to bolster the events side of business, McIsaac said the restaurant has hired an event coordinator and has been participating in wedding shows.
McIsaac added that he envisages the Market location becoming a “community hub.”
“We want to be a community hub for people that are in the area, for people who live and work (in the Market), as well as create an event spot for business and government people,” he said.
McIsaac said he is hopeful about the future of the area.
“(The Market) is one of the most special places in the city. I think the future of Ottawa and the ByWard Market in particular are very bright. You’re seeing from the city to the province to the feds, everyone’s putting money into it to make sure that the Market is a bright spot in the future as well,” McIsaac said.
Beyond the Pale opened the location on George Street in late November, a little behind schedule, McIsaac told OBJ on Thursday.
“It wasn’t when we intended to open. You typically want to open at a busier time, but what it’s really done is given us an opportunity to sharpen our game and service offerings. We’re looking forward to the spring, when people in Ottawa tend to start going out more,” McIsaac said.
Chef Rich Wilson has brought an elevated take to pub food, he added.
“I think what benefits us is that our service offerings are a little different than a lot of what’s down there. We kind of bridge the gap between being a pub and fine dining and we’ll use that to bring people together,” he said.
