The Station Pub, Invermere’s beachfront pub and restaurant, transferred to new local ownership March 15, with Chris Policar and Ryan (Butter) Karl taking the reins from Justin Atterbury and Jason Powers.

The pub closed for renovations on March 8 and is expected to reopen on March 26.

The restaurant’s upgraded interior and an expanded kitchen will be the first of many improvements.

As head cook and now co-owner of The Station Pub, Chris will continue “to serve the valley with straight-up home-cooking.”

He’s working on new items to add to the menu. Future dishes are still “a secret,” but he’ll keep his favourite: the steakhouse burger. “Working in this kitchen makes me happy,” Chris said. “I like to feed the valley.”

Meanwhile, Butter will take over as The Station Pub’s new front-of-house manager, which includes training, leading and working alongside the servers and bartenders. He says: “I love this pub and I’m excited to make it even better. A fresh look, great service, the kitchen team’s amazing food and that view … I want you to walk in and it’ll feel friendly and fresh.”

The new owners have big improvements planned for The Station Pub, says Butter, but “without changing it too drastically.”

Butter grew up in Invermere, completing the chef training program at David Thompson Secondary School and apprenticing at age 16. He has worked in many of the valley’s restaurants. He and his partner Heather McLeod have three sons.

Chris moved to the Valley from the Philippines in 2009, with his wife Tetel joining him four years later. Chris started as a sous chef at The Station Pub in 2015 and has led the kitchen team since 2018. Chris and Tetel have two young children.

To learn more about future changes, updates and specials, visit The Station Pub’s website, Facebook page or Instagram feed.

Lead image: It’s thumbs up for the new owners of The Station Pub in Invermere, Chris Policar, left, and Ryan (Butter) Karl.

Photos submitted

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