Squires Four owner closes under weight of COVID restrictions, renos planned during closure

Photo: Laurell Cornell

UPDATE: 3:15 p.m.

Squires Four Pub owner Vick Singla says, while there will be renovations coming, the main reason he's closed the doors at the Vernon watering hole is restrictive provincial COVID regulations.

"Due to all these restrictions, there is limited traffic coming in the door," he said Wednesday.

"We're trying our best ... there will be renovations, but we want to see what's coming," he said of provincial health orders.

He's hoping that in the new year there will be some loosening of regulations as vaccination numbers increase.

"We're really hoping for 100% seating," he said.

Meanwhile, renovations are still planned, said ownership group spokesperson Tanvi Thakore.

ORIGINAL: 2:45 p.m.

A Vernon watering hole popular since the 1980s has closed for renovations.

A rather ominous sign on the front door at Squires Four Pub, Wednesday, left people wondering what's going on – but ownership group spokesperson Tanvi Thakore says not to worry, Squires will reopen in the new year.

"Pub shut down due to unprecedented reasons," the sign reads.

"We are closed for renovations," Thakore told Castanet.

Work will begin Monday, and "it will be two months at least before we reopen," she added.

The renos will include some remodelling and new furniture at the landmark pub on Stickle Road, across from Swan Lake, at the northern edge of the city.

Meanwhile, the Squires liquor store remains open, and the manager there says the cannabis store will reopen "as soon as the new owners get their distribution licence."

New ownership took over in June, led by Lower Mainland businessman Vick Singla.

"We want to make it more beautiful, we want to add some features in it, we want to do some renovations that's going to give it a little bit more of a contemporary and better look, inside and outside for the audience here,” Singla said at the time.