Browns Socialhouse will open its third Greater Victoria location next spring in a 3,200-square-foot space at Uptown shopping centre in Saanich.
The restaurant, which has locations in downtown Victoria at The Falls development and in Langford, has recently expanded to 40 restaurants mainly in Western Canada. It has been eyeing a spot at Uptown for a long time.
“It’s a new business hub and there’s a great deal of traffic that passes through the area, and people who shop at the centre need refreshment,” said Bruce Fox, chief operating officer for the Brown’s Restaurant Group, which also has restaurants under the Scotty Browns and London Bull banners. “We see plenty of good market potential in the area.”
The 120-seat restaurant will be at the end of Uptown Boulevard on the west side of the stretch with a 40-seat, 900-square-foot patio opening onto the boulevard.
Jeremy Wilson, director of AdrenaLine Adventure Tours in Sooke, is the franchisee of the new Browns, and expects to start construction within the space in October.
“Browns Socialhouse is such a great fit for Uptown. Each location is designed for the neighbourhood it serves and this location will have something for everyone, especially families who don’t currently have many restaurant options in the immediate area,” he said.
As far as Uptown is concerned, it’s a missing piece to its retail puzzle.
“This is something we have wanted for a long time,” said Roberta Ferguson, Uptown general manager. “It’s been on our list. And everyone asks for this type of [sit-down] restaurant. . . . It will also be great for the whole residential neighbourhood around Uptown. This area doesn’t really have this kind of restaurant.”
Browns sees itself as a sweet spot between large chain restaurants and neighbourhood pubs. “We are not that huge of a space, so there is a bit of buzz that people quite enjoy,” said Fox. “ People enjoy it when a place is full and busy, there’s a different vibe in the room. With a smaller room at 80 people, we feel close to full, while go to a 250-person room and 80 vanish.”
Uptown is busy with the ongoing construction for a 40,000 square foot Whole Foods store and a new 4,500 square-foot commercial retail space scheduled for completion in fall 2016.
