FREDERICTON – The Capital Complex, a staple music venue in Fredericton, has re-branded as The Cap, adding a small-batch brewery and a record store to its offerings starting March 14.
“We’ve been around 20 years, our business is built to support the local music and creative scene. As craft beer/craft cocktails have become an everyday go-to for our customers, we wanted to get creative ourselves and offer our own line of craft beer,” said owner and operator Zach Atkinson in a release.
“We wanted a reason to promote local music through the day and in other ways, so we are adding retail, selling local music and selling concert tickets to local shows and more.”
While The Cap will still serve its existing lineup of local craft beer and macro-brews, it will also introduce two of its own line of brews at each the Capital Bar, the Phoenix and Wilser’s Room.
“We plan to get more adventurous as we get comfortable in this new space and diversify our offerings,” said Atkinson.
The first brew from The Cap will be a collaboration with Graystone. The ‘Collaborate & Listen Citra Pale Ale’ will be on taps in those three venues and the Fredericton Craft Beer Festival on March 6.
The existing non-alcoholic offerings, including non-alcoholic craft beer from Partake Brewing, Kombucha Cocktails from Flourish Kombucha, and Nitro Coffee from Good People Coffee Roasters, will continue to be available.
The changes mean The Capital Bar’s hours will be expanded to include 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday to Sunday. The stage area will be used as a community spot, with long tables and stools available for customers.
Its Queen Street entrance will be revamped to be a storefront where patrons can buy vinyl records and concert tickets, as well as hang out during the day. The Cap will remain focused on promoting the local music and creative sector, so the retail vinyl selection will represent local releases, artists touring the area, and new music.
These additions will complement its already well-known night-time offerings as a music venue.
The Cap is also working with food trucks and food startups to host pop-up events in the future.
“The Capital Complex has always been so much more than a bar or a venue; it’s the meeting place for the music community and the central creative hub for our artists,” said Penelope Stevens of the band Motherhood. “This new initiative capitalizes on and elevates that concept, creating a place where music fans and musicians can collaborate all day long.”
Former owner Wes Ward, who now owns Graystone Brewing, praised the move, saying “any new activity we can add to the downtown core is a plus for Fredericton.”
Jeff Richardson, the General Manager of Fredericton’s Harvest Jazz & Blues Festival, shares Ward’s optimism.
“This expansion will get the heart of live music beating even stronger in downtown Fredericton,” he said in the release.
Find the full story HERE.