At Turnip Home we understand the importance of community, and as a proudly Canadian company started in Edmonton, Alberta we love to support local businesses. This past year has been trying for many locally-owned establishments.  

We headed down to YYC to speak with the owner of Side Street Pub & Grill in Kensington to learn more about their business and discuss their experience with Turnip Home so far.

Check Out The Full Video Here!

Why was Side Street Pub started?

Side Street Pub was started out of a desire to do their own thing, to create a space that was different from the current offerings in the area. As long-time industry members, Mike Shupenia and his wife had many ideas on how they wanted to run their own business and that’s where the idea of Side Street came to life. As soon as they walked into Side Street Pub, they knew this was the place. It felt like home to them. When Side Street began, there were no other sports bars like the one that they wanted to create. Side Street grew out of a desire to create a sports bar experience done right in the heart of Kensington, Calgary.

How has COVID impacted your business?

COVID has had a huge impact on the entire industry. Other than having to close their doors and operate on a take-out only basis for many months, Mike feels that one of the biggest impacts that COVID has made is that it has taken away from the culture and atmosphere that they have worked so hard to create. They built the ideal sports bar environment built on high-fives after games and socializing with your friends. With new restrictions, this is no longer possible.

What makes Side Street Pub different?

Side Street pub is different because of the passion of its owners. Both Mike and his wife wake up every morning excited for the day ahead. They simply LOVE what they do and it shows. The customers can feel the love every time they walk in. You feel welcomed whether it's your first time in or if you're a regular. As Mike says “when you walk in, It’s like the show Cheers, everyone just loves it”.

What do your customers rave most about?

The customers of Side Street consistently rave about the atmosphere and the staff. At Side Street, they always want to make sure they hire the right people. Having the right people behind a business is truly the biggest differentiator.

What would you want someone who's never heard of Side Street Pub before to know?

Side Street will ALWAYS have your game on. They have every sports channel on the planet in their establishment so you can count on them to be playing your game with your team. They want to make sure everybody’s game is on, even if it’s not the Calgary Flames.

Why did you decide to secure with Turnip Smart Home?

Side Street decided to go with Turnip because they had many friends before them who had chosen Turnip as their go-to security company. Because of this, they trust Turnip to secure their business.

What is important to you in a security system?

A security system should make the staff and the customers feel safe. It’s important to be able to pull footage of any incidents that may occur and be able to handle these situations appropriately. It’s all about making the people in the business feel safe.

For what reasons would you recommend Turnip to others?

There are a lot of good people behind Turnip. There have been a lot of great reviews of their systems as well. So that is the reason, good people behind it and good reviews from the people who have tried it.

We chose to feature Side Street pub not only because they are an amazing local business in Calgary but also because they have a community oriented way of thinking. Mike has said that one thing that Side Street loves is to be able to give back to their community in any way that they can. The community has been so supportive of their business, so why not be supportive to the community as well.

Check out Side Street Pub at 1167 Kensington Crescent Northwest, Calgary, AB. Side Street will be reopening for dine-in service on February 8th so make sure to head on over and check them out!

http://www.sidestreetpubandgrill.com

‍