The Boathouse officially reopens, ready for reservations

The newly revamped Boathouse kicked open its doors Nov. 22 with a grand opening ceremony. The iconic restaurant and live music venue plans to be open year-round and has already started taking reservations online.

After over two years of renovations, a group of local entrepreneurs, called Walkinshaw Holdings, revealed a newly revamped interior and exterior. They showed off a freshly redone dining room that has black and gold finishes, with unique depictions of Kitchener scenes. The new space also offers a wall of windows as the restaurant is located right next to Victoria Park Lake. In spring and summer, guests can enjoy watching Otis and Ophelia, Kitchener’s famous swan couple, drift by.

The restaurant was joined for the celebrations by Kitchener’s Mayor Berry Vrbanovic.

“For myself and so many in our community, The Boathouse has always been a beloved and iconic gathering space in the heart of our city, and few things have generated the level of excitement that today’s opening has for Kitchener residents and lovers of live music everywhere,” Vrbanovic said in a media release.

“The transformation of this space, including the addition of what is now the largest waterfront patio in our Region, are incredible and I can’t help but be excited by the possibilities for The Boathouse’s future.”

The owner of Walkinshaw Holdings, James Barr said they are excited to welcome people back to The Boathouse.

The revamped restaurant also has a new menu which it says will focus on using local ingredients, sourced from the region.

The restaurant also features a new stage where it plans to host local musicians all year round. With that, there are plans to create a local arts fund and form a Community Advisory Committee to see that their programs are inclusive.

Located at 57 Jubilee Drive, The Boathouse is now officially reopen.