Ladies and gentleman, don your thinking caps: it's time to play NAME – THAT – PUB!
Heidi Romich, owner of Heidi's Restaurant in downtown Cranbrook, wants your idea for naming the new brewpub she and business partners Marlies Romich and David Deardsell hope to open this spring.
Temporarily named The Black Dog Brewpub, the new development will replace Heidi's Restaurant with a brewhouse and restaurant – a family friendly dining area on one side, and a restaurant and pub on the other side.
Now, Heidi is asking the future patrons of the brewpub to help name it. Ideally, the name will combine an animal with local history and geography.
First prize will receive a $250 gift certificate, as well as four "growlers" of the pub's first brew. Each growler is 1.89 litres, and the winner can take one home, drink it, then bring it back three times to be refilled.
The runner-up will win a $150 gift certificate and one growler.
Entries will be accepted until 5 p.m. on Friday, February 15. Email your suggestions to barry@dailytownsman.com, or drop them off to The Townsman office, 822 Cranbrook Street North.
"We hadn't come to an agreement, and we thought it would be fun to open it up because everybody locally will have great ideas. The intent is for this to be a fun place for locals to be, so we want people to feel a part of it," said Heidi.
Meanwhile, Heidi is waiting to hear later this month if the new brewpub's liquor license has been approved. Cranbrook city council threw its support behind the license application in early January.
If the license is approved, construction on the brewpub would begin on March 1, brewing would begin on April 31, and the new venue would open at the end of May or in early June.
That means there is only weeks remaining to enjoy your favourite items on Heidi's menu as the restaurant would close later this month to make way for renovations.
"Heidi's will be relegated to history, closed forever at the end of February," said Heidi. "After 14 years of Heidi's, that part will be sad and emotional, but exciting at the same time."