Trolley Five Restaurant invites you to their establishment. You can get there not only by bicycle but also by public transit. They are in a dynamic area known for its nightlife.
When 17th Avenue’s infamous Melrose Café shuttered in 2014, local proprietors Ernie Tsu and PJ L’Heureux saw the perfect opportunity to combine their mutual love of hospitality, food and brewing into a brand new venture called Trolley 5.
The two Calgarians have more than 60 years of combined experience in the hospitality industry and have been cornerstone to the success of operations like Craft Beer Market, 1410 World Bier Haus, Classic Jack’s and more. But Trolley 5 marks their first combined brewery and restaurant concept. They pitched their idea to the building’s landlord (and former Melrose Café owner) Wayne Leong and he gave them the go-ahead. “We took Wayne with us to Portland and showed him the concepts we were looking to open up. And he was equally excited to bring some craft beer to Calgary,” Ernie says.
PJ started home brewing when he was 17 years old, while Ernie got his start at 19. “I’ve always had a passion for the industry and I’ve always had a passion for cooking and wine and beer,” explains Ernie. Ernie’s family owns the renowned Silver Dragon Restaurant, which has been a Chinatown staple for more than 50 years. Ernie started off as a busboy, working his way up to bartending, management and chain management. He eventually became a part of Calgary’s Group 933 Hospitality group and the owner of 1410 World Bier House and the now-defunct Classic Jack’s.
Due to the competitive nature of the industry, Ernie admits he considered PJ his rival for quite some time. “PJ and I were actually adversaries for a number of years,” explains Ernie. “I had 1410 World Bier House, and he was still president at Craft Beer Market. When this site came open, I was consulting at Craft Beer Market. We got talking and said, ‘Let’s do it!’ We both have a passion for beer and we both always wanted to own our own brewery.”
