Pumpjacks Saloon and Steakhouse opens in Regina during Cathedral Arts Festival

WATCH: A new business called Pumpjacks Saloon and Steakhouse has opened in the former Cathedral Social Hall. Damian Smith has more.

Warmer weather and the Cathedral Arts Festival are both signs of summer approaching in Regina.

The flurry of activity that the arts festival brings is also great timing to open a new business. Pumpjacks Saloon and Steakhouse did that this week taking over the former Cathedral Social Hall

“We honestly just expect people to be understanding,” said General Manager Chelsey Edwards. “In the initial opening stage, everybody’s getting comfortable, everybody’s getting used to the new space.”

“With it being the arts festival, it’s going to be pretty busy or expected to see quite a bit of people.” said head chef Brandon Sweet.

Regina’s downtown has struggled since the pandemic when it comes to entertainment amenities, making it difficult to coax people back into the city’s core areas.

Pumpjacks finds itself at the corner of Albert and 13th street, placing itself on the edge of the downtown area and the cathedral. Jonathan Lorenc, the Chair of the Cathedral Village Community, sees the challenge that presents itself.

“Once people leave downtown from work, I think it’s harder to ask them to come out from the suburbs to visit downtown than it is to have a base of people living downtown, maybe that typical, metropolitan lifestyle, right, that we see in a lot of these other larger communities.”

The city hopes to encourage more activity downtown with free parking starting at 5 p.m. daily, along with several construction projects aimed at revitalization. However, businesses like Pumpjacks and others will also play a key role.

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Pumpjacks plans to utilize music performances, holding a stage inside.

“I would say our stage is one of the biggest features I know from hearing from other local artists and people that are in the music scene here in Regina,” said Edwards. “They’re very excited to have another venue to be able to perform at.”

The Cathedral Village Arts Festival may wrap up this weekend, but business owners and community leaders hope to keep people downtown longer, even after it’s over.