In the heart of downtown Vancouver, there's an eclectic pub slash eatery that's home to 1,800-plus mostly-glowing Google reviews and a menu that ranges from the wild (duck tacos) to the straight-up insane (a monstrous food/drink hybrid where a quadruple Caesar is topped with stuff like a burger, a brownie, and a whole fried chicken).
It's called "Score on Davie," and its blueprint has proven popular enough that a second Score location appeared just last year in the heart of downtown Toronto.
Now, the dude running the show is opening a third venue. And instead of Calgary or Montreal or some other urban metropolis, he's doing it right here -- at Apex Mountain.
That he's a local guy only adds to the intrigue.
And beginning November 27th, Apex Mountain's celebrated Gunbarrel Saloon reopens under the "Score Pub Group" umbrella, with a refreshed décor and menu and seemingly renewed energy.
"I grew up in Summerland and Naramata," said Score owner/operator Jesse Ritchie Friday afternoon in between Gunbarrel renovations. "I've been skiing Apex my whole life. I love this place."
Ritchie headed for the coast "right after graduation," where he eventually founded his flagship Vancouver venue. But he returned four years ago -- he now resides in Trout Creek -- and runs both locations from an office space in Penticton.
"With COVID," he said, "and the closures of indoor dining in Toronto, we have a pretty big staff of talented people who are underutilized right now. So I talked to the people at the Gunbarrel and we agreed I could take it this year and have a crack at it for the next couple years too."
But Ritchie, whose group leases the facility from Apex, took a good look around the place and realized it needed more cash than he'd envisioned. And the commitment grew.
"It started as a one-year project. But when you put money in, you have to get it back somehow. And we don’t think it'll happen this year with COVID. So it makes sense for us to do things properly and then next year make it even more awesome."
The name won’t change. Ritchie calls Gunbarrel "legendary" and would rather resurrect it than start over.
Indeed, he says his grandpa, Fred Ritchie -- the same Fred Ritchie who spearheaded regional environmental group First Things First -- was part of the team that originally established Apex as a ski hill.
"So we’re trying to get that old feeling back here," he said, noting that his crew has already made numerous alterations designed to recapture that old-timey spirit, including building a new "retro" loft space where old neon beer signs dot the walls and old ski videos play on the TVs.
But the most dramatic changes will be to the menu, which will blend items from the Vancouver and Toronto Scores.
"If anyone's familiar with the Score Pub Group, they'll know our Caesars are our big hit," said Ritchie, adding that some of those crazy half-food, half-beverage concoctions mentioned above will indeed make an appearance.
"And every beer on tap is from a Penticton brewery. Neighbourhood, Highway 97, Slackwater, The Cannery, Tin Whistle, Bad Tattoo."
Sustenance will include items like rice bowls, noodle bowls, a variety of burgers, sandwiches and salads, and a salmon bowl Ritchie calls "incredible."
Also on tap is breakfast. It'll be served every day of the week, with an even bigger menu Saturday and Sunday and during the Christmas and March breaks.
But right now, pandemic measures are a priority.
"We've spread everything out so it's safe," said Ritchie. "So we have a full staff with a lot of locals that's excited to come back because they know they're safe with the protocols we're implementing from Vancouver and Toronto."
Ritchie also hinted that there may be more local Score plans on the burner than a Gunbarrel reboot.
"We won’t be open all year 'round," he said, "so we're also working on something in the valley to keep our folks in operation in the spring and summer. A seasonal restaurant in town. I can't say any more right now."
For more information on the Gunbarrel Saloon, head to its freshly refurbished website.
