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On Wednesday, Brandt CEO Shaun Semple announced that he was doubling down on the Brandt Group’s planned sports bar and entertainment venue by investing $20 million into the project.
It will be called Queen City Distillers and will be located at the former YQR Distillery site at the REAL District.
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Semple said the venue will feature a newly renovated liquor store and entertainment complex, and is intended to be a “world-class venue” containing several on-site businesses, including:
- a premium craft distillery and brewery
- a 7,200 square foot beer and liquor store equipped with a drive-through
- a 250-person “one-of-a-kind” sports bar
- a 46-person wine and premium spirits bar
- a 264-person restaurant
- a 145-person speakeasy-style lounge
- a 1,490-person multi-level live music venue
Semple said the goal of launching Queen City Distillers is to create a unique destination which will attract people before and after Roughriders and Pats games.
“You go out to have fun. It has to be fun every time you come in. It has to be new every time you come in,” Semple told reporters at a media event.
Shaun Semple, CEO of the Brandt Group, said the project will generate 150 jobs. (Daniel Reech/980 CJME)
He added that, for the venue to really stand out, it has to offer more than just a restaurant and bar.
Semple said that would involve having programming for the sports bar, live music venue and even gaming nights.
To create the venue, Semple said the 52,000 square-foot building will have to be almost entirely reworked.
“We’re going to rip the walls off, we’re going to punch out the front of this building,” he said.
“The only thing we’re going to use (from) this building is some of the structure. It is a completely new venue.”
Regina city council assigned the lease agreement of the building to a company owned by the Brandt Group in June. (Daniel Reech/980 CJME)
To bring this vision to life, Semple has enlisted the help of Jim and Michael Cafarelli of Cafarelli Concepts and Maxie Pennington of DesignAgency to supplement Brandt’s in-house architectural and design team.
“There’s going to be nothing cookie-cutter or corporate about this. Everything is custom,” Michael said.
He said he had the chance to explore the site two months ago and thought through what would organically work in the location.
“We’re not trying to force anything from a chain or from some other design. It’s being homegrown from what this city needs, what this community can call home,” he said.
Pennington said the guest flow will be a key element in the design process, as well as ensuring that each space within the site has its own identity.
“We still want to make it approachable and welcoming by studying Regina, by studying what the roots and culture and the beauty of Regina are, that we can celebrate within each space, curating those spaces to make it part of the city,” she said.
Lease agreement
In June, Regina City Council voted to assign the lease of the distillery to a company owned by the Semple Group, taking the place of YQR Distillery.
Semple said the 90-year lease agreement provides stability and gives the chance for growth, especially with all the work attached to the project.
“It’s such a major investment, we didn’t want to do that on a 10-year lease, (there’s) just too much risk on the project,” Semple said.
“We believe that this is something that will be here for decades to come. It has to be, because it’s not a get-rich-quick scheme, I can tell you that for sure.”
Semple said the development of Queen City Distillers can help revitalize the Regina Exhibition Association Limited (REAL) District.
“I think new venues, new investment, new things that maybe people haven’t seen will bring people off the couch and out, and I think that’s a healthy thing,” Semple said.
“When you’re out and you’re gathering and you’re having fun with people, you’re building community. And I think that’s what we’ll try and do here, so hopefully we can be a bit of a catalyst to make that happen.”
Semple said Queen City Distillers is expected to open in December 2026 and will create 150 new jobs in the city.
