Real Sports Bar in the ByWard Market closing permanently

A massive new sports bar is coming to Ottawa's Byward Market this November.

Real Sports Bar and Grill in the ByWard Market is permanently closing its doors less than four years after they opened.

The George Street sports bar, owned by Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, which owns the Toronto Raptors and Toronto Maple Leafs, opened in November 2012.

A sign on the door Wednesday said the restaurant was closed for the day. However, CTV Ottawa has learned it is closed for good. Local entrepreneurs have been approached to take over the Real Sports space, but none are interested.

MLSE could not immediately be reached for comment.

The sports bar’s Ottawa location opened to great fanfare in 2012. With 99 HD TVs and room for nearly 500 people, along with a $600,000 kitchen, VIP lounge and the city’s single largest HD screen, it was billed as a go-to destination for local sports fans.

However, it could not duplicate the success of the original Real Sports in Toronto, which is steps from the Air Canada Centre and had been named North America’s best sports bar by ESPN Mobile.

The closure is another blow to the ByWard Market scene. The acclaimed Murray Street Bistro is closing at the end of the year.