Fourth Street Founder Spotlight: Vin Room’s Phoebe Fung

Once upon a time, Phoebe Fung was a project manager for a major oil and gas company. Today, she is the Owner and founder of Vin Room - an elegant and atmospheric wine bar which sits at the helm of Mission’s food scene, with two other locations in West Springs and YYC Airport. 

There are very few similarities between these two roles… apart from the pragmatic hand of miss Phoebe Fung herself. So, how did she get here, and was the journey worth the destination? (Spoiler alert: the answer is yes).

Phoebe first flirted with the notion of starting her own business while talking to her brother in a wine bar in Houston. Contemplating how great it would be to have a similar spot in Cowtown - and spurred by the notion of “something [she] was truly passionate about, something which would become a legacy” - Phoebe began to imagine what a new opportunity could look like.

“Not long after,” Phoebe began, “I was walking down 4th Street in Mission when I noticed the old Mission Cycle building sitting vacant. I immediately thought, this would be the perfect place for a wine bar.

Just like that, what began as a conversation over a bottle of wine began a conversation about something much bigger - ‘a place we could be passionate about and share with the community’.

Fortunately, in a Calgary which has been through floods, recessions, one global pandemic and an asteroid field of other strange and unexpected events, Phoebe credits resilience as a bold and significant trait for entrepreneurs.

On the topic, Phoebe elaborated: “I think we’re ready for just about anything. 

“In fact, if there was ever a year when something unexpected didn’t happen, I’d probably start wondering what was wrong.”

In spite of all the hurdles along the way, Vin Room opened one of the fist licensed dog-friendly patios in Calgary (their location at Calgary International Airport is also dog-friendly, just so you know next time you’re travelling through).

However, Phoebe maintained the people at the heart of her business are the reason it has been able to thrive, with half-a-dozen managers which have been around for more than a decade, or as she puts it “a lifetime in the industry”.

“They’re still passionate about what they do and about taking care of the guests. That’s pretty contagious,” she added.

Phoebe also credits the vibrance of Mission to the reception of Vin Room. With almost 300 businesses in the Fourth Street BIA - many of whom are entrepreneurs) - she said she feels “humbled” to be in their midst.

Phoebe continued: “There are so many great people and businesses on our dog-friendly 4th Street, with restaurants, stores and professional offices, and I’m really proud to be part of that community.

“We just love being part of the 4th Street community. It’s a great group of people and businesses, and we’re really happy to be part of it,” she concluded.

Stop by Vin Room for some amazing food and wine, enjoy their cheese nights (in partnership with Peasant Cheese), or get your toe tapping with some locally-sourced jazz on Thursdays. No matter what, come ready for a one-of-a-kind experience right here on Fourth Street.