Pop-up beer garden set for Ajax waterfront this summer

Three years after the successful launch of the Pump House beer garden on Whitby’s waterfront, Town Brewery is bringing the concept to Ajax this summer with a beer garden pop-up near Paradise Park.

The pilot, which will offer food and beverage service within a fenced-in area on the lakefront, is expected to open in time for Canada Day.

Whitby’s Pump House, which opened for the season earlier this month, has proven to be a popular summer hotspot after the site – Whitby’s first water pumping station – sat vacant and unloved for 39 of its 120 years on the shores of Lake Ontario.

The brewery gave it new life in 2023 when Town was awarded a five-year food and beverage pop-up licence by the Town of Whitby.

The Pump House will be open every weekend this summer from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. (Friday, Saturday and Sunday), as well as all holiday Mondays, a schedule that will also likely be set for the new pop-up in Ajax.

The initiative was Ajax-driven after council directed staff to explore pilot projects involving alcohol service in public spaces. Staff then conducted a process to select an operator and develop the pilot concept.

Town Brewery is also in the process of moving to downtown Whitby this summer after nine years on the waterfront, just a stone’s throw or two from the Pump House.

The brewery will be moving into the former Brock Street Brewing and 12welve Bistro location at 244 Brock St. S.

General Manager Jeff Talmey and his ownership team have immersed themselves in the community since their 2017 opening, from putting on beer festivals to supporting emerging music talent to hosting trivia nights, organizing running events and raising money for various community causes.

This summer they will take that community philosophy to the Ajax waterfront.