Popular Canmore Bakery Closes and Reopens as a European Pub

When Uprising Bake Shop announced it would close its 6th Avenue café earlier this month, the news caught many Canmore residents by surprise. The bake shop had become a staple in town, often named among the best bakeries in the Bow Valley and known for its lineups, sourdough loaves, and grab-and-go pastries. Within a week of the announcement, the café was closed. Nineteen days later, the same space reopened with a completely different identity: The Corner Pub, a European-inspired restaurant shaped by the owners’ Czech and Slovak roots.

There has been some confusion in town about what actually closed. In reality, Uprising Bakery’s production facility on 9th Street is still operating. It continues to supply its sourdough to Banff IGA, Canmore Safeway, Valbella and other partners, and it remains the center of the company’s bread making operation. According to owners Rebecca and Patrik, the bakery itself is thriving. The change was limited to the 6th Avenue bake shop and espresso bar, which no longer fit the direction they wanted to grow.

What many customers never saw was the amount of labour required to keep the café running. Uprising produced hundreds of pastries each day at the bakery and transported them across town to the café. The owners said that the coffee shop model had become extremely challenging and very labour intensive. Everything was made from scratch, from croissants to seasonal pastries, which created a constant cycle of production, transportation, and service. It was a model that demanded more staff, more coordination, and more hours than most customers realized.

By the end of last summer, the owners noticed that the space no longer worked for the concept they had built. The grab-and-go service was so popular that the seating area functioned more as a waiting zone than a place to relax. Their original plan was to operate a café during the day and a lounge in the evening, but the interior layout never supported a smooth transition between the two. The space was large, high traffic, and difficult to convert from one atmosphere to another. After several years of balancing the demands of both models, they decided to move in a new direction.

That direction is personal. Rebecca is from Slovakia and Patrik is from the Czech Republic. They have worked together for years and are partners in both business and life. Over the past year, they felt that the bake shop concept no longer reflected who they are. The idea of opening a European style pub, something that reminded them of home and the social traditions they grew up with, began to take hold. In their cultures, a pub is not only a place to drink. It is a community hub where people gather, share meals, and slow down for a while.

The Corner Pub is their attempt to bring that experience to Canmore. The opening weekend ran from November 28 to 30, and the first wave of visitors offered early signs that the concept might resonate. One customer noted, "The food was so fresh and wholesome and to absolutely die for. We drive from Calgary every now and then just for their sourdough bread, worth the drive and now even more so with this amazing menu."

The menu is rooted in Central European comfort food. Lunch dishes include goulash soup made with Hungarian paprika and slow cooked beef, Slovak potato gratin layered with cream and sausage, chicken schnitzel on a house made bun, and breaded melted cheese served with coleslaw and tartar sauce. The dinner menu expands into beef tartare on garlic rubbed sourdough, deep fried cauliflower florets, pork belly with horseradish and fresh bread, and chicken liver pâté finished with a savory glaze. Many plates use Uprising bread, which helps connect the pub to the bakery that launched the brand.

Authentic European beers round out the menu. The pub offers Pilsner Urquell, Czechvar, Weissen Dunkel, and Stiegl, with more planned. The goal is to create a neighbourhood pub that feels familiar to anyone who has visited Central Europe. Warm lighting, wood accents, and a quieter, more intimate atmosphere replace the fast paced feel of the former café. The owners say they want the space to feel like home, with a focus on honest food served without pretense.

The rapid turnaround was intentional. The café’s final day was November 9. The team then gutted and renovated the entire space from November 10 to 27. By the end of the month, the room had been rebuilt with a new concept, new kitchen layout, and new ambience. The pace mirrors the owners’ philosophy about resilience and adaptability, two traits they say are necessary for running a food business in the Bow Valley. Seasonal swings, staffing shortages, and high costs require constant adjustment. Their years operating Uprising taught them to stay flexible and trust their instincts.

They emphasize that regular customers of the bakery are not losing anything. Bread continues, pastries may return in the spring, and the production bakery itself remains the foundation of the company. The decision to rebrand the café was made with long term stability in mind. They say they are excited to share something personal with the community and hope locals will embrace the new chapter as warmly as they supported the bakery.

The Corner Pub is now open for lunch and dinner, with full hours rolling out this week along with weekend breakfast and daily happy hour.