Vancouver Canucks diehard fans may remember the name Johnny Negrin. A hockey player until a few years ago, Johnny is a West Vancouver boy who was drafted by the Calgary Flames in 2007. He only played a handful of NHL games - including a few memorable exhibition games in a Vancouver Canucks jersey - spending most of career playing in the minors and, later on, in Europe. In 2020 he retired and now at the age of 35 he’s a first-time restaurateur - one of the most impressive in the city.

Considering Johnny didn’t have a background in hospitality, his story has been anything but conventional.

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Sitting on our milk crates at Batch - his popular container ship bar on the Plaza of Nations - Johnny’s presence is nearly enigmatic. Built like a hockey player, yet dressed modestly, and speaking with the eloquence of a storyteller, once you start a conversation with him you just don’t want it to stop. Retracing the early seeds that began to shape his journey into hospitality, he talks about his family. My grandma was such a big influence for me. And the best memories I had were just sitting in the backyard at her place. There were good people. You're hanging out. She was a person who was extremely welcoming and always wanted to make people's days. And I think that kind of steered me this direction. I didn't really have much of a hospitality background, but that was something I believed in.

Batch is refreshingly simple: picnic tables, fireplaces, and craft beer. Live music on the regular. When the big game is on the screens will come out but otherwise they’re locked away to keep the onus on gathering. Both their locations have quintessential Vancouver vistas, yet, its simplicity is exactly why it resonates.

The name, “Batch,” was born out of the ethos to bring people together - particularly local businesses - and see them thrive around a community. With Johnny at the helm it’s no surprise that it’s worked so well. Working with all the breweries, working with the wineries, the cideries, staffing, my family, explains Johnny, it's allowed me to kind of just get involved with everybody and find the best. The easiest thing to do is get behind others. I really enjoy that. It's really fun to kind of try and figure out ways to support them and help them on their way.

Johnny humbly credits his team for the organic growth and hospitality instincts which have led to its success. Batch has overcome some pretty remarkable challenges from its inception.

At the very start they faced many of the same issues that so many aspiring AND established hospitality enterprises meet in Vancouver: bureaucratic red tape, restrictions around licensing and permitting. But with incredible persistence Johnny got the city onside: speaking with City Council, it was always about trying to find ways to bring community to Vancouver. And it was well received. So from the City Council to planners, for me, there was some naivety in not knowing how to navigate forward through that. But at the same time, I had that support from the City.

Coming out of the regulations battle with a win was huge but Johnny wasn’t prepared for what happened next. Negotiations with his initial food operator - who was going to come in and run the space - fell apart. Just like that Johnny was suddenly staring down running the entire operation solo, with no hospitality experience whatsoever.

That’s when he met Murph. It was at Container Brewing that they first became acquainted - entirely by chance. But come the end of their first conversation, discussing the concept behind Batch, Murph committed to being a part of the project. And even though Johnny felt nervous about bringing on this new partner, especially with limited alternatives, he was thrilled to discover this collaboration, with the magnificent and genuine ball of energy that is Murph, was a winning ticket. It was Murph that then brought on Haley, Charlie, Sean and the crew and together they’ve made it work.

It was very nerve-wracking initially, Johnny admits. But having a team—Murph, Haley, Charlie, Sean—who shared the vision made it possible. Speaking of the goals for the future, we want Batch to be the foundation, a place where the community gathers and supports local businesses, Johnny emphasizes. Batch Kitsilano, opening again in Summer 2025 (after a barnstorming debut in 2024), promises even more this year, including a wine bar in collaboration with Grape Pop and local culinary entrepreneurs like Mimi’s Focaccia.

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When you think about a family affair there’s nothing quite like Batch. It feels like family when you step inside and experience the warmth of the hosting (and seasonal heat lamps) and the congeniality of the locals who have made it their “regular”. But from the foundations his grandmother set to the support of his family and friends along the way, Batch is now an ingrained part of the family story. And it’s emotional. Johnny’s cousin helped to realize the branding for Batch and while recollecting that part of the history, of everything really coming together tangibly, Johnny takes a few beats to process the full feeling which that level of support has meant to him.

What makes Batch such a great part of the already world class hospitality here in Vancouver is its sincerity. It’s modest in the best way and driven by a simple feeling. Everyone who has joined the team at Batch shares the same deep-seated philosophy in the power of authenticity and community, just like the hospitality that underpins those small towns in which Johnny made his hockey career.

With Batch, Johnny is already carving out the beginnings of a remarkable legacy. Having already broken the proverbial patio ceiling here in Vancouver, and with exciting expansions and partnerships on the way, there’s a shot - maybe an outside one - that Johnny Negrin becomes a true Vancouver legend for more than just his hockey career.

Still a gem hidden in plain sight—Batch is not just a spot to grab a beer: it's a space fostering genuine connection, a sense of belonging, and, above all, family.

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