It’s bad news for Vancouver’s gamers, as the popular venue EXP Restaurant + Bar has announced they will close for good at the end of June.
EXP is known for being a gamer geek haven, from the decor to the screens showing livestreams of game action on Twitch and more. There are board games and arcade-style games on site for customers, too, and a food and drink program that aims to hit the spot for those who don’t take their food and drink too seriously.
The gamer bar faced struggles before they even opened in 2012, when their concept of having video game consoles for customers was squashed by the liquor control board and deemed “gambling.” In recent months, the venue teetered on the brink of closure because of financial issues.
On Tuesday, EXP Restaurant + Bar shared on Facebook that the end is finally upon them. Here’s what they said:
“At 4PM today our landlord let us know that we will need to close the doors at the end of the month. We want say, from the bottom of our 8-bit heart meters, thank you to everyone who has supported us along this journey.
We also would like to invite everyone out for a huge blow out of a party! For the rest of the month come into EXP and enjoy the first, best, and most community focused nerd bar in Canada!
Food and drinks will all be very discounted and your purchases in these last few weeks will be helping us pay the AMAZING staff who have been the foundation of this wonderful community.”
Looks like you’ll have until the end of June to check out the action at EXP before it’s game over.
EXP Restaurant + Bar is located at 309 West Pender in Vancouver.
