Rosie’s off-Whyte no more, but Canadian-Korean Chiers pub doubles down on karaoke
It was regularly lauded as one of the best karaoke bars in town.
Nestled just off Whyte Avenue, Rosie’s Bar and Grill was an Edmonton institution for 35 years. It had an all-day breakfast, was open into the early morning on weekends and hosted karaoke four nights a week — often with a full house.
In November, the 104 Street bar had its last bash under the Rosie’s banner. Then the owners left a post on social media and a sign on the door telling patrons the location would re-open in December after renovations.
Stephen Raitz, a self-described karaoke connoisseur, former karaoke host and resident of the nearby Ritchie neighborhood, has been anticipating the location’s next act.
Raitz has been a fan of the spot for years and said it occupied a very specific niche as a great place to end the night with a bang.
“If you’re having a normal night and you are bar hopping between places, if you really wanted to crank it up to 11, you could go to Rosie’s and just kind of enjoy all the wildness that is captured within that space,” Raitz said.
The paintings on the wall, the dated furniture, and even the way the walls were painted gave the place “layers and layers” of character, Raitz said. He likened it to an ’80s/’90s aesthetic.
When he saw the notice that the bar was closing for renovations, Raitz said he was both unsure but excited about what could come next.
Non-stop karaoke
As of Christmas Eve, the bulk of the renovations were done and the new owners were getting ready for their first soft opening. While Rosie’s is technically no more, its tradition of karaoke isn’t going anywhere.
Instead, its new owners want to host karaoke seven days a week.
Now called Chiers Pub and Grill, co-owners Deokwoo Joo (who also goes by Tim) and Hyunsoo Eun (who goes by Peter) didn’t even know they’d be opening a karaoke bar at first.
Joo and Eun, who also own and operate Knights Pub and Grill in north Edmonton, had been looking to open another pub for more than a year. Their goal is to keep expanding until they have five pubs across the city.
They first visited Rosie’s to see what the bar was like, but came on a Monday evening in July. At first, they weren’t sold.
“We picked the wrong day. It was dead,” Joo said, adding that the proximity to Whyte Avenue was something that originally caught their interest.
Still unsure, Joo and Eun came back. Except this time it was the weekend, and they were blown away by the turnout for karaoke.
“It was packed, and they were singing and dancing,” Joo said, adding how they noticed the karaoke party lasted for “four days straight.”
“We hadn’t seen that. It’s crazy. People were crazy,” Eun said.
Korean street eats
At Chiers, two worlds of karaoke are locked in a duet.
Locals who’ve visited the likes of Soju near Argyll and The Voice in Edmonton’s Downtown might be familiar with private room versions of karaoke, popular in Korea and Japan.
At first, Joo and Eun, who are both from Korea, considered bringing in private rooms to Chiers and committing to a Korean aesthetic.
But Joo said they glimpsed something they thought was special with Rosie’s and the Western-style open floor Karaoke bar.
“Canadians like open, public things, and making social interactions with others,” Eun said.
“We want people to come here and make connections with each other.”
But the bar also has many connections to Joo and Eun’s home country. Chiers sports both the original Rosie’s karaoke machine and a new Korean model making it possible to sing in more than 11 languages, Joo said.
On the menu, there is classic traditional poutine, mozza sticks, jalapeno poppers and your typical pub grub, and there’s also a whole array of Korean dishes like spicy rice cakes, dumplings, and bulgogi poutine.
Regulars will recognize some of the decor but will also notice a distinct new look. The blend of Korean and Canadian tastes doesn’t end at the menu — it’s present in the whole look of the bar.
Signs for American and Canadian beers are hung throughout, along with signs in Korean. Joo says the look was designed to resemble 1980s and 1990s Korean
Pojangmacha,
outdoor vendors that sell street food.
“There’s nothing like this on Whyte Avenue, but there’s many pubs around,” Joo said.
“Because we are Korean we wanted to show Korean culture things to young generations.”
Joo said the bar is planning for a full opening early in the new year, and is excited to host K-pop themed nights, Oilers games, and karaoke. He’s already re-hired some of the former staff and a former Rosie’s karaoke host.
Raitz said he’s looking forward to seeing what the new ownership brings to the table, and what nights at the new location will be like.
“
Change is scary, but change can be good,” Raitz said. “If they keep up a similar sort of vibe, it’s not just going to be that last stop. It’ll be that ultimate destination, that final destination for folks on a night out.”
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