Brunch, lunch, dinner or beers — no matter what you’re looking for, 1550’s Pub Style Restaurant in Saanich has had you covered for the past 25 years.
The pub recently threw a 25th anniversary party featuring live music, barbecue, face painting, prizes and cheap Phillips drafts.
Front of house manager Pam Dupont said she’s “still having fun after 20 years.”
The restaurant was called the Hungarian Villager before the current owner, Keith Campbell, bought the location and opened it at 1550’s in 1994.
There have been a few tweaks and upgrades here and there, but Campbell kept the place true to it’s roots, said Dupont.
The old owners still come in to eat and chat with Campbell.
“[Campbell’s] friends with everyone and he’s involved in the community,” Dupont explained.
He helps with local schools, contributes to charities and supports his fellow local businesses.
She feels that the consistency and the kindness are why the restaurant has been able to continue to build business and why the regulars keeps coming back.
At the weekend anniversary party, some of the customers who’ve been coming in since day one joined in on the fun, said Dupont.
There are several regulars at 1550’s and many have been coming in for decades. She remembers seeing pregnant ladies come in, then bring their babies in and then bring their high school graduates in.
“I’ve watched kids grow up,” she said wistfully.
1550’s draws in crowds of all ages and backgrounds for all sorts of events — folks from the local retirement home stop in for fish and chips, families come in for the specials, regulars come for “the usual”, starving university students stop by for a warm meal and professionals drop in for a quick lunch, she said.
“We’re grateful and genuinely care about our customers and our community,” said Dupont. “We hope to continue to get the support we’ve gotten over the last 25 years.”
The next 25 years will be about growth and continuing to have fun, she said.
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