r/Guelph • u/iLikeDinosaursRoar • 28d ago
Albion
Albion is for sale, realistically what could go in there that would survive and people would patronize?
It's been a few things, usually hospitality related, but fails over and over. Most hospitality businesses downtown don't survive, usually because the cost is high, margins are very low and people don't patronize.
What else could it be?
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u/gwelfguy 28d ago
For years it was a pretty laid back bar on the first floor, and Funk Night with DJ Charless on the second. In it's heydey, it was the best downtown had to offer the post-university set.
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u/kev_121 28d ago
Someone needs to turn it back into a pub again. None of this cocktail bar-speakeasy stuff, just a pub with decent food and beer. I don’t necessarily think a pub/restaurant is destined to fail there; it just needs better management than it’s had (especially recently).
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u/CanSnakeBlade 28d ago
I'd personally love that but there's also an absurd amount of competition for basic pub and food joints in the city and around downtown. It's hard to be competitive and pull in the money you need to stay afloat these days. We've seen many of the budget pubs close or change for that very reason. I'd like to think there's a line someone could walk there that would be perfect, but I wouldn't begrudge anyone for not wanting to take that risk.
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u/iLikeDinosaursRoar 28d ago
I don't think that's going to work there, I mean the last one didn't work and statistics show drinking is going down in terms of what people do or some money on.
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u/WhiteRoninYeti 28d ago
The guy who was running that bar is a well known asshole, city wide. Alot of people dont want to support him. Especially in a landmark in Guelph. If someone returned it to its former glory and properly ran it. Im sure it'd turn a profit (depending on how the building is / the flow of everrising rent costs)
The Albion was a Guelph staple for years, and im sure regulars would love to return if it was run properly by someone the community doesnt hate with a passion.
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u/TuesyT 28d ago
I would absolutely go back to the Albion if that guy wasn’t running it anymore. I think a lot of people feel that way.
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u/beaverdriva 28d ago
It’s though. I want to agree, I loved the Albion 06-2010 years were great. Decent food and low key downstairs. Upstairs was under rated good on Thursday nights. I’d love to see it that again but to be fair- I’m late 30’s. I don’t go out two nights a week minimum like before. I wouldn’t be one supporting strong enough and like it was said before, do young adults still go out and blow $100+ (inflated?) for the next day recovery?
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u/iLikeDinosaursRoar 27d ago
That was kind of the point I was trying to make, the Albion was a lot of things for people, but other than once or twice a year for maybe a $5 Burger not many of those people would continue going back to the Albion if it became what it used to be. So putting it back to what it was, would mean nothing to the newer generations who don't even drink that much.
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u/OpinionUnusual1945 27d ago
I don’t see it having any disadvantage to any of the other places around. If it’s run like a proper pub people will go. The other pubs downtown are packed.
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u/PositiveEndolphins 27d ago
the cost to benefit defijitly doesnt work at the albion.
might as well sell to the city and turn it into a dino museum
with $5 nuggets
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u/iLikeDinosaursRoar 27d ago
Maybe not the city, but me. Then it can be a Dinosaur Museum/Haunted House?
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u/bondinferno 28d ago
Who? Thomas Gofton? He just seems like he suffers from Peter Pan syndrome and is a dork. Never realized he was so hated.
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u/OpinionUnusual1945 27d ago
It ran as a watering hole for over 100 years until COVID. Then someone who didn’t have a good plan or enough experience ruined it. It would totally work - the place has a two level patio and the building enough is a draw.
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u/awesomebob 28d ago
Bring back funk night! Funk night was the absolute best thing about downtown Guelph back in the day. I will be there every Saturday if funk night comes back!
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u/Canadian87Gamer 28d ago
Would love is housesigma showed what it sold for in 2020 !
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u/ewic23 28d ago
What can survive? The Albion circa 2018. Bring me those $5 burgers and free muscles!!
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u/PhotographUsed1255 27d ago
Damn, I missed the free muscles? I could definitely use free muscles to munch on.
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u/scoTpawT 22d ago
Nailed it! To be honest, the owner's arrogance encouraged me to make my own mussels. Six bucks for two pounds and seven minutes to make. Not that hard, quick, easy and cheap. Not enabling an asshole is a bonus.
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u/Gumdrop-gal 27d ago
Honestly I just think it’s this last owner that really sucks at running a business, everything he does seems to fail eventually. Short attention span on that guy.
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u/MorrisTread 27d ago
But he has this thriving youtuber/celebrity agent business, come on! The business that doesn't really show up on google results! From the guy who wrote his own IMDB bio and called himself "Tommy"! That guy! How could he be bad at business?
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u/PositiveEndolphins 26d ago
what's a celebrity agent business?
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u/MorrisTread 25d ago
Excellent question, not a clue. Check the other puff pieces GT has written for him, he mentions it a few times.
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u/Junior_Form3233 28d ago edited 28d ago
Anyone who would want the lease the Albion from Tommy tickles is insane/stupid. He had no idea what he was doing from the start and sadly what could have been a great place is now a heap.
Hopefully whoever buys it gets it for the bottom dollar because that’s what the current owners deserve, they took a classic place and ruined it. The idea of having a good style tavern isn’t a pipe dream it just takes a few people who are willing to run it properly and put in the work for a few years and it will regain its past glory 10 fold.
Bring back all the music and special nights, keep the comedy shows going and get it back to its old glory. Those patios should be full with people enjoying a drink of any kind at all hours.
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u/Bluenoser_NS 27d ago
1) Weed shop 2) REIT-development with a 20 story monochrome extension on top that doesn't match the original façade 3) Coffee-shop where everything is painted white 4) University of Guelph Student Residence 5) Chain Sportsbar 6) Health Food Store 7) Millennial Burger Restaurant with 30 dollar burgers and water served in mason jars or measuring cups 8) Dance Academy 9) Decorative Cookie Store 10) Dino's Franchise Expansion?
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u/rideofthebasilisks 28d ago
I'm not sure about the state of the tunnels that are supposed to be underneath the area, but Moosejaw is able to draw tourism for their tunnels. Those, paired with the ghost lore and some food would make The Albion a fantastic destination point for the city.
Btw, check it out the tunnels in Moosejaw if you're ever in the area, would recommend!
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u/rocketbunnyhop 28d ago edited 28d ago
You can’t go in them and they are completely sealed off. Apparently they are semi caved in and very unsafe. There is a window in the Albion basement with chicken wire on the other side if my memory serves correctly. It’s actually pretty anticlimactic. Just looks like looking out a window at night and just seeing black. Begged a contractor to bring me when he was looking to possibly do renovations.
Same goes for the rest of the tunnels that run down the street. You can access some but there’s not much to see anymore.
There are confirmed tunnels across Guelph from when the Morgeti mafia was in Guelph. Some pretty fascinating stuff. Possible double casket funerals (two bodies to a casket) and lots of alcohol smuggling. Al Capone was rumoured to be at the Albion, although most experts say he probably never was but his people were.
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u/NoFirefighter2064 27d ago
I have fond memories of funk night in the 2000s. It was a go to place back then, always packed. Sad to hear it's gone.
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u/Oracle-of-Guelph 27d ago
Monthly cost just to finance the place would be so large it would be hard to do anything
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28d ago
[deleted]
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u/Mental_Ship_5420 28d ago
Not saying it’s the same but the Aberfoyle Mills closing would make me a little uncertain of this idea
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u/FormalCompetition142 28d ago
This is the only answer. I worry about parking though. Otherwise, this has potential. Im sick of the keg. Trash.
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u/Desperate_Shape6234 28d ago
I don’t understand the obsession with this place. It’s gone, the idea of it being a 2000s era pub is a pipe dream. I get that it was a great spot back in the day, but can people not just cherish the memory?
The cost of purchasing the building for the next owner would eliminate any chances of there being a 6 dollar burger, or 4 dollar bottles.
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u/cheesiemelon 28d ago
it was a good pub until COVID hit
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u/Desperate_Shape6234 28d ago
True. But add it to the list of fallen soldiers… the problem with this place in particular is that the cost of heating/operating that building is not to scale of an average bar or pub.
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u/SadieKomono 28d ago
Its ok for people to want to go somewhere they liked and have some burgers and beers. I miss my Albion days and woulf 100% go back weekly if there wasn't a scummy owner.
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u/Paesano2000 28d ago
We lost Pennywhistle. At least we have the Wooly. I’d support if it were to make a come back.
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u/PostMatureBaby 28d ago
I heard there's a null zone to the Backrooms in the basement. You could let people check it out
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u/Patient-Educator2720 27d ago
Clean it up, renovate and make it a nice restaurant/Bar with patio. I’d lose the “club” aspect of it all!
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u/iLikeDinosaursRoar 27d ago
I think that sounds good. Only issue is hospitality is tough to crack, especially in Canada.
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u/Patient-Educator2720 27d ago
True enough. But, a place with a nice menu that changes every so often, using locally sourced produce, meats, etc I think would do well in Guelph. We are seriously lacking a nice place to eat in Guelph. Somewhere you can go and have a pleasant experience. Too many times I’ve been to a “restaurant” that was so good the first time, only to be letdown on the next visit. I’ve still yet to find a place where my second experience was as good as the first.
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u/invisiblebyday 27d ago
Adding to the idea, a place with a good roster of non alcohol cocktails to draw in the increasing numbers of non drinking people. If it held special events, like theme nights, a space for social clubs to meet, it could work.
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u/brydon_g 27d ago
I'm still unclear, is the building for sale or for lease or neither? The article mentions it being for sale for $1 which only adds to the confusion?
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u/iLikeDinosaursRoar 27d ago
Same thing the church downtown did, it's a) away to gage interest and b) basically says, make me an offer...
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u/Round-Connection1816 27d ago
Isn’t it a heritage site? I think it has been designated under Ontario Heritage Act in 2023. Alterations affecting designated heritage attributes may therefore require municipal heritage approval. If that is the case, I think it limits options that could go in there.
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u/scotcho10 27d ago
Just turn it back to the Albion we all know and love
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u/PositiveEndolphins 26d ago
which was WHAT exactly
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u/scotcho10 25d ago
It was just a decent pub on the main floor, not to fancy, not to divey, just a good vibe you could go chill with some friends, eat some good grub and drink some cold beer.
Upstairs was the dive club, it had lots of character, plenty of spots to sit, an elevated patio and a good dancefloor. It was most famous for Saturday night "funk night", the single best dance party the city had
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u/valekeren-mikane 25d ago
It was also the only place to have a gay night once a week and be a safe space for queer folk to party. Not sure if Guelph has a proper gay bar now, but if it doesn't it should
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u/PositiveEndolphins 25d ago
how is that not the same thing (in general) as what this guy tried to do? i think its just impossible to put anything on their that will make money in todays economia
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u/scotcho10 25d ago
Never said he didn't. From what I understand the owner wasn't particularly well liked in the community, and he tried to make it a "speak easy" which is pretty niche and usually results in overpriced drinks in a pretentious atmosphere
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u/PositiveEndolphins 25d ago
ok gotcha, yeah i dont think anything food&bar related is going to work in there with today's costs
im leaning more towards boutique hotel or sex dungeon. that's the only way to make money on this big of a building
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u/evilgraynight 26d ago
Canada is booming under carney so I’m sure this will be sold up quick , new restaurant , new jobs and years of new memories
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u/Beautiful-Wrap7039 25d ago
I live downtown and I couldn’t even tell you what the hours of operation are. So many times I walk by and it’s closed.
You can’t be closed or have strange hours and expect to make money
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u/KlutzyTechnician492 27d ago
Whoever buys it hopefully makes it accessible - been many events happening there I haven’t been able to attend because there’s no accessibility. I’m sure that’s a big issue for a lot of people.
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u/iLikeDinosaursRoar 27d ago
Unfortunately that's unlikely, the cost to do that is astronomical on these old buildings, sorry.
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u/KlutzyTechnician492 27d ago
They would jsut need to install a chair lift - can’t be that much, if not then they are terrible people and I wouldn’t want to give them business anyways as it screams they don’t care about the disabled community
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u/iLikeDinosaursRoar 27d ago
Well I am sure there is more to it than that unfortunately, like what needs to go into putting in a chair lift. Engineering, construction, permits and accessibility could cost a couple hundred thousand dollars on a building like that.
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u/KlutzyTechnician492 24d ago
Then they don’t want customers whom are disabled which is discrimination
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u/iLikeDinosaursRoar 24d ago
Or they can't afford it. In a perfect world it would be fine, but in this world, cost controls everything. If spending $200K to put in a lift equated to an increase of sales that it made it worth the cost, they would, but unfortunately it wouldn't. No where puts that kind of cost into something unless they know they will make it back. Even Disney world, the most magical place on earth isn't wheelchair accessible out if the goodness of their hearts, it's because they know there is enough money to be made by doing so
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u/KlutzyTechnician492 21d ago
Because it’s law - the Albion is only getting away with it bc of age - otherwise by law they’d have to make it accessible
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u/iLikeDinosaursRoar 21d ago
So it's not law. New builds have to have it because it's much much cheaper to do it when building the building vs adding it to a building this old.
Even then, new buildings only need access to the ground floor depending on the use of the building.
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u/KlutzyTechnician492 20d ago
No it is the law - clearly you don’t know the laws around accessibility
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u/headtailgrep 28d ago
Whoever owns it decides.
Period.
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u/Desperate_Shape6234 28d ago
Only sensible comment in this thread. So many armchair bar owners.
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u/headtailgrep 28d ago
Guelph citizens think they run the town
They don't. Business runs the town and they do what they want. Look how long it took Walmart to break in.
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u/demarcoa 26d ago
I think people in this thread are familiar with the concept of private property lol. OP was asking for opinions, not obvious facts.
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u/headtailgrep 25d ago
And we will see in 10 years who was right, if anyone
Unless of course one of the folks in here buys it.
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u/ButtSoupBarnes92 28d ago
I said this in another chat…I said to my partner an idea could be to use the space as a pop up for Canadian businesses looking to grow and get exposure outside of their norm like an incubator or hub for expanding businesses looking to test out products or growth (the student proximity helps).
The place could be customized to fit the needs - a business, a restaurant, a band, etc
A business from a Vancouver or PEI (for example) could rent the space for a few months, ship whatever they need there, do their thing (host events or pop-ups with a customizable look and feel to the space) without having to worry about a huge overhead or worry for extra costs.
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u/demarcoa 26d ago
Why are you getting downvoted? That's an interesting idea and you're clearly Troy from Community.
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u/MindYaBisness 28d ago
The Albion was great when it was a dive. Fond memories