On any given night, there's a local watering hole, speakeasy, nightclub or live music joint in Vancouver to suit your mood and a cocktail artist ready to mix your pleasure. But if you're looking for an alternative to that scene, somewhere to chill, some place with an activity to go with your drink, Back and Forth Bar in Gastown is your answer – Vancouver's first ping pong bar.
Thirty-something owner Regan Truong saw something missing in Vancouver after patronizing similar ping pong bars in Toronto, and thought the laid-back venue would translate well on the West Coast.
In 2004, after graduating from UBC in sales and marketing, Regan cut his teeth in the alcoholic beverage sector, including stints with Scottish Newcastle before Heineken and Carlsberg acquired it, and then established his own marketing swag bag company along with two partners, before settling in with the Donnelly Group in 2011. He moved on after he helped open their first bar in Toronto, Belfast Love, in April 2016. Looking to be his own boss, Regan opened Back and Forth Bar in March 2017.
