Breaking: The Keefer Bar Team Is Bringing New Concept to Cambie Street

'June' will open in the former Biercraft space on Cambie and W 17th Ave. Here's everything we know so far.

We love the Keefer Bar. And we know you also love the Keefer Bar, because you voted it Best Bar in our Readers’ Choice segment of the 2024 Vancouver Magazine Restaurant Awards. So I think its fair to assume that, collectively, we’re all stoked to hear that the Keefer team is launching a new ‘brasserie-inspired’ spot called June in Cambie Village this Fall.

a group of people gathered on the stoop of an under-construction restaurant
The team behind the new June, opening on Cambie this fall. From left to right: Satoshi Tonemori, Cam Watt, Amber Bruce, Leticia Castro, Connor Sperling and Keenan Hood. Photo: Juno Kim

Between this announcement, the opening of the hot-hot-hot Elio Volpe a few months back and rediscovering the sweet, sweet rooftop patio at Vij’s recently, Cambie is really on a roll lately. After all the transit construction the neighbourhood has suffered in recent years, it’s nice to see it get a win.

June will open at 3305 Cambie Street, in a 150-seat space on the corner of 17th Avenue—that’s the former Biercraft, right next door to the aforementioned Elio. Unsurprisingly, the drink program is going to be a strong one (co-proprietors Cam Watt and Keenan Hood have 14 years running Keefer Bar under their belts, after all) but it sounds like here, imbibers will find a fairly robust menu of casual dishes, too. (What those dishes are remains to be seen, but the phrase ‘brasserie-inspired’ has us guessing… French-ish?)

In addition to Hood and Watt, the June team includes exec chef Connor Sperling (Published on Main, Boulevard), bar manager Satoshi Tonemori (Grapes and Soda), bar director Amber Bruce (also from Keefer) and operations manager Leticia Castro (Como, the Diamond). Though we know that the room will be designed by acclaimed Mexico City-based architect Héctor Esrawe, there are sadly no photos or renderings of the space yet to stoke your thirst quite yet. In the meantime, though, please enjoy these pics of Keefer Bar cocktails to inspire a few dreams about what’s to come.

Photo: Sean Kelly
orange-coloured cocktail on a dark bar
Photo: Dave Hamilton

Stay tuned to @juneoncambie or juneoncambie.com for more updates about when this instantly-hotly-anticipated new spot will be opening its doors.