After ‘bittersweet end’, Duke of Wellington Pub relocates to King Street

After 41 years of serving up British fare to patrons in K-W, the Duke of Wellington has had its final day in the Atrium on Erb Street. Noting the Saturday get-together was a bittersweet, wonderful experience Desi Fatkin said the atmosphere was incredible – and they're hoping to keep that same home-like feel for the move to a new location just a stone's throw away. 

Fatkin is one of the owners of the Duke of Wellington Pub, and said the process of relocating to the establishment's new home at 100 King Street S. in Uptown Waterloo is well underway – with staff working to bring as much of the history of the well-known watering hole with them as possible. Fatkin notes that the pub has managed to maintain all of its staff members, as she said she's certain they'll be keeping the same “pubby” atmosphere as well.

“We brought some of the nick-nacks and things from the wall, different mementos and honestly … it's newer, it's brighter … it's quite a bit smaller (…) but I really believe once we get in there that it will have the same feel, because we will have the same customers,” said Fatkin. “The bricks and mortar are just bricks and mortar; it's the people that make the huge difference.”

When asked what customers should expect in walking through the doors of the new location, Fatkin noted that the Duke of Wellington will still carry its “fantastic line-up of beer”, as she said the space itself only needed a few “finishing touches” once staff moved in. 

“I think when they walk through the door, they're going to get the same kind of feel; like it's their home away from home.”

Before moving from the Atrium location, Fatkin noted the pandemic had created some issues in staffing – as she said it had been a “huge challenge” to get new staff on board, with many working in the hospitality industry facing uncertainty as to when capacity limits may lift – opting some to move into different fields.

“It's great that we don't have to lay anyone off moving to a smaller location – but we have had our challenges here with trying to keep up with the customer demands…” said Fatkin. “I think that a lot of people from the industry have just moved on, and taken different jobs because of the uncertainty of where we were going to go, and when we were going to be back up and running – and I mean, that's for all restaurants, bars and pubs.”

With plans to open the new location on Thursday, Fatkin said she's hopeful – though issues of supply chain disruption have created some delays in getting the pub's beer lines installed in a timely manner. Fatkin maintains that if those issues persist, the pub will be open at the latest on Monday, with plans for live entertainment from local musicians to mark the occasion. 

“We're blessed with amazing talent in this area, so we will be having live entertainment again – and we're just hoping to have a happy, vibrant place where people can go and enjoy themselves the way they always have.”

With the attention set on the new King Street location, Fatkin noted that there still is some hope and desire of eventually moving back into the former Duke of Wellington location once the condo development is completed – though she noted that decision will be based on what's decided by developers as well as council. Fatkin notes that Momentum Development Group, the company behind the purchase, has expressed a desire to have retail space in the bottom floor of the condo, though it's still unclear whether the pub will eventually return to Erb Street. 

“It's been an incredible time the past 41 years,” said Fatkin. “We've made so many amazing connections. We feel like our customers are our family – they're not just customers. You walk in here and you don't know anyone, you walk out and you're part of our family. It's just that kind of vibe.”

– With files from Divya Gill