After years of renovations Calgary’s iconic blues bar, the King Eddy, finally reopened to the public on Friday and an open house will be held at the venue this weekend.
The King Edward Hotel, on 9th Avenue S.W., first opened in 1905 but fell into disrepair in the early 2000s and was finally closed in 2003.
The property was dismantled brick by brick and put back together again and Studio Bell, which is home to the National Music Centre, was built around it.
“It’s a labour of love, a lot of love has gone into this spot here. This has been in the works for years,” said Jynnifer Gibson, General Manager.
The character of the building was preserved and the inside was outfitted with modern amenities including a new bar and restaurant that will feature locally-sources ingredients.
“The building was rebuilt from the ground up, using original bricks, and since then we built a full commercial kitchen from scratch. We’ve revamped the entire room basically and all the furniture sourced out to local suppliers,” said Gibson. “We’ve tried to integrate and use as much of the old Eddy to bring it into the new Eddy as possible.”
The new space opened at 11:00 a.m. on Friday and will be permanently operated as a live music venue.
“It’s all music for all people so we’re really hoping to welcome the old and a whole bunch of new as well,” said Gibson. “I think it’s going to bring a lot of value to the neighbourhood.”
A grand opening party is being planned for the fall.
For more information on the King Eddy, click HERE.
