After over a decade in business, local gastrolounge Chill Winston (3 Alexander Street) has announced that it will be shutting down this September.

“After 11 wonderful years in our Gastown home, Chill Winston will be officially closing its doors at the end of September,” the restaurant shared on its Facebook page today (June 9). “Join us as we celebrate a decade+ of cocktails & conversations, blind dates & breakups, business meetings, fashion statements, inside jokes, and fun food. Come down and celebrate the end of an era. It’s going to be a fun summer and we’d love for you to share it with us one last time. #SoLongCW”

The announcement comes after rumours began swirling online yesterday (June 8) that the Chill Winston space had been sold to the B.C.–based Joey Restaurant Group, which operates five Joey Restaurant locations in Metro Vancouver as well as Kitsilano's Local Public Eatery (2210 Cornwall Avenue).

Sasha Perrin, communications manager at Joey Restaurant Group, tells the Straight by phone that she is unable to confirm or deny the reports at this time. "Our real-estate development team is always looking for opportunities for Joey to expand," she said, "but we have no further information to offer."

Meanwhile, in an e-mail to the Straight, Chill Winston partner Jordan Stewart revealed that an official statement regarding the shutdown will be published to the establishment’s website. Reached by phone this morning (June 9), Melanie Veenbaas, a manager at the gastropub, shared that staff will be using the summer to pay tribute to the local haunt. "We’re spending the next few months celebrating Chill Winston and the decade that we’ve had in Gastown," she said.

Known for its Pacific Northwest–inspired shared plates, stiff cocktails, and perhaps most notably, its sprawling urban patio—often regarded as one of Vancouver's best—Chill Winston has long been a fixture in Gastown’s dining and late-night scenes. The space is situated upstairs from live-music bar Guilt & Co. (1 Alexander Street), which shares the same owners as Chill Winston and will remain open.