Old Strathcona nightspot changing hands, will keep hosting karaoke

The owners of a popular karaoke bar in Edmonton are retiring and sold the business after 35 years.

A southside nightlife staple is changing hands.

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Rosie’s Bar and Grill, a popular karaoke spot in Old Strathcona, has been sold to new ownership.

Its longtime operators, Gordie Mah and Terry Yu, told CTV News Edmonton on Monday it was time to pass the business along to “the younger generation.”

Mah said that, over 35 years of running the business, the karaoke experience evolved at Rosie’s, from the “traditional” one-person singing on stage to more of a group singalong all over the bar.

“We changed it around, and we encouraged people to sing together – friends singing together,” Mah said.

The watering hole two blocks south of Whyte Avenue at the corner of 80 Avenue and 105 Street is currently closed for renovations and is slated to re-open next month. Rosie’s will continue to host karaoke.

With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Cameron Wiebe