Three Yellowknifers are planning on opening a new downtown venue that they hope will bring together the city’s arts community.
Layne Rybchinski, Marco Szarama and Matt Seeton all previously worked at the Kilt and Castle Pub. Now, with their combined skills and experience, they want to open something of their own.
They plan on calling it The Underground.
“Just to do something new, bring our own little touch to this bar,” Szarama said. “We all bring something to the table and we all excel in certain respects.”
“We want to give back to the community,” Rybchinski said.
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“I want to look after everyone who’s looked after me since I’ve been here.”
Szarama said he has nearly 30 years of experience working in bars. Rybchinksi, who is a musician, was known for hosting jam nights at the Kilt and Castle alongside Cat McGurk. He even hosted an event in Edmonton when Yellowknife was evacuated due to wildfires last summer.
Rybchinski says the new venue will offer a performance and events space for the city’s arts and music community.
“The driven goal here between the three of us is to bring the community together through great food, entertainment and just great bar service,” he said. “I want to show the arts community that you can have a solidified place and you don’t have to go trying to scramble for a place.”
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They don’t have an opening date just yet, but the trio are hard at work preparing the space on Franklin Avenue that previously housed Safari Foods Family, Savannah’s Family Restaurant and, once upon a time, the Cellar Bar and Grill.
When The Underground does open, the three plan on hosting a fundraiser for the family of their friend Alex Jr Debogorski, who recently passed away. Rybchinski said they also plan to permanently hang portraits of Alex and his late brother Andrew Debogorski, who passed away in 2019, in the venue to “remind us what love is.”
“It’s gonna be great. Can’t wait for that moment,” he said.
