The Boxcar is approaching their seventh anniversary! After March’s brief eviction scare, there’s no denying that this year there’s a LOT to celebrate… They’ll be doing that by throwing a party on Wednesday, September 28th. Showing up for at least one pint or glass of something good is a no-brainer.

The anniversary party kicks off at 923 Main St. at 4pm (count on it going until late), and is free and open to the public. Besides a bunch of delicious things to drink, the Boxcar has also enlisted Chef Alessandro Vianello to serve up risotto (veg and meat options) beginning at 5pm-ish, until it sells out – so plan on being there early if you want to get in on the food action.

We thought that the timing was great to check in with one of the Boxcar’s OG team members, current GM / Bar Manager, Tadia Rosen, to reflect on the past seven years and imagine the memories still waiting to be made over the next five (at least) ahead…

First of all, for those who haven’t had the pleasure of meeting you in-person, please introduce yourself. Hello! I’m Tadia, and I’m the GM and Bar Manager! I actually started working at the Cobalt first. Then, when they started building the Boxcar, I had a lot of big dreams about what the space could be used for. I basically grew into the role I have now, learning and adapting as the bar changed, especially after the Cobalt closed. They had initially planned for it to be a simple tap room with beers and very little else on the menu. I pushed for cocktails to also be a focus and then slowly expanded the wine list little by little over the years.

Over the years, Boxcar has established itself as a go-to watering hole with good vibes and an excellent selection of local beer/wine and cocktails, from Happy Hour to late night. Why do you think that it’s resonated so well with the community? Building community around the bar has always been important to me. A bar is just a bar without the people and relationships that make it special. I feel really lucky to have the guests and friends we have. I also think the space itself feels really comfortable and casual. It’s the kind of place you can swing by alone for a drink and read a book, or run into friends and end up staying and chatting for hours.

Boxcar’s seventh anniversary is just around the corner, and I’m sure that this must be an especially exciting one, considering its recent questionable future! What special concoction/glass of something are you raising (or do you recommend raising) to commemorate the occasion? We will be opening some fun wines for the occasion so definitely have a glass or two of what’s pouring. (Thanks to all the local breweries, cideries, distilleries, wineries and importers who keep us excited every day!) And of course a margarita!

No doubt a lot of Vancouverites have had a lot of memorable nights and racked up some stories at the Boxcar over the years (I know I sure have!) What have been some of your favourite experiences at the bar, to date? What are you most looking forward to in the years ahead? We’ve had so many wonderful nights over the years, it’s hard to pick just a few memories. But for me it’s all the times we’ve had DJs that turned the narrow room into a dance floor. It’s the drag shows we host where you can hear the laughter and cheering echo off the patio (sorry to our neighbours!) And mostly it’s the people I’ve met that were regulars that become good friends. We don’t know how many years we have left before the building gets torn down but I’m sure there will be many more good nights before that happens!

Boxcar

Neighbourhood: Main Street

923 Main St.

604-398-4010

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