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The new bars and restaurants that are flocking to Toronto's bohemian Ossington strip are in danger of getting lost in the crowd.
About 50 per cent of the nighttime establishments now in operation on this north-south corridor in the city's west end have opened within the last six months, and two bars, a restaurant and a pizzeria are rumoured to be coming soon.
Brother and sister team Adam Baguley and Amber Elson made their debut on this artsy scene in December when they opened Levack Block, an elegant bar with a modest dance floor at back.
"We wanted to give the street its first great place to party," Mr. Baguley says.
Adam Baguley, left, his sister Amber Elson and her husband Marcus Elson at the bar of Levack Block on Ossington Avenue in Toronto. (ASHLEY HUTCHESON FOR THE GLOBE AND MAIL)
"Something that was stylish but not pretentious."
If the opinions of its earliest patrons are to be trusted, Levack Block is a considerable success.
Now, Mr. Baguley and Ms. Elson have set their sights on opening a second venue, a moody cocktail lounge, just three doors north.
The still-to-be-named space will also function as an events facility and art gallery during the week.
Ms. Elson says they want the new lounge to be a little more upscale than others on the strip.
Still, they don't want to alienate the young, artistic set, so from Thursday to Saturday, when the lounge is open, both $6 and $12 fresh-fruit cocktails will be available.
For the same reason, they plan to make gourmet comfort food, pizzas and made-to-order poutine available until as late as 4 a.m., and feature paintings by local artists on the walls.
By creating a multipurpose space, Mr. Baguley says, they can maximize revenue streams, generating cash flow by renting the facility to special events and catering to them.
While Mr. Baguley and Ms. Elson think the late-night food and art-house angle will set them apart from other clubs and restaurants in this competitive district, they are looking for help in focusing their brand image.
They are also questioning whether they should hire new staff for their second location, or have current staff from Levack Black cross over.
And they would like advice on running two businesses at once - and doing it well.
What the experts say
Pol Cristo-Williams is a small-bar business consultant who is very familiar with the likes and dislikes of the Ossington crowd. A bar owner himself, Mr. Cristo-Williams helped pioneer the strip when he opened Sweaty Betty's bar in 2004, catering to local artsy patrons and offering no table service or drinks with more than three ingredients. Sweaty's has been packed since.
Mr. Cristo-Williams notes that the clientele frequenting Ossington is slowly changing. From the balcony of his Ossington Avenue apartment, he has spotted the odd suit or family group heading into one of the few higher-end restaurants that have opened on the strip. That said, he thinks it could be a little too soon to be charging $12 for a cocktail. "The gates are opening to a more-educated drinking crowd," he says, "people that are going to want Bordeaux, not something that is French and is red." Still, he recommends that Mr. Baguley and Ms. Elson wait at least another year before they cater to that spectrum of the market.
Mr. Cristo-Williams also thinks that the art gallery-cum-lounge format could present problems. "It can be done," he says, but in his opinion, it's hard to do both things well, especially without a good art curator.
Mr. Cristo-Williams also sympathizes with the challenge of taking on more than one business at a time. "If they have the money, or they even think they have a possibility of having the money - I would tell them to hire a manager and a maintenance person," he says. "That way they can focus on the business."
Mr. Cristo-Williams isn't keen on the idea of crossover staff at the two locations, and advises the pair against it. "If you are talking about a venue that has a different identity than Levack Block, then you want to make sure it is different."
A marketing consultant at Torque Customer Strategy, Mark Healy says he, too, is familiar with the Ossington neighbourhood and its vibe.
"There's a bit of a subtlety in this neighbourhood. You don't want to do something that is wildly different," he says. For Mr. Healy, the art-meets-lounge identity doesn't pose as much of a problem - "if they know they are positioning themselves as an art lounge," says Mr. Healy, "they're already 50 per cent of the way there."
To crystallize their brand image, Mr. Healy advises the pair to run every decision they make through the art/lounge lens. Every detail is critical - from the glasses and brands of liquors they buy, to the people they hire to work the bar, he says. The exterior detailing is also critical, he says. Since Ms. Elson wants the interior to be cozy and moody, the outside lighting and signage should set the stage.
The prices they charge and the drinks they serve are also important in creating their image. "I'm glad they're thinking about pricing," says Mr. Healy, "but with $6 drinks and $12 drinks, it sounds like they are speaking to two different worlds." If Mr. Baguley and Ms. Elson are looking to attract an affluent but not pretentious clientele, they should consider pricing their drinks in the $8 to $9 range. "If you're making a rum and Coke, pick a more obscure brand or throw a splash of something in it to make it a little unique."
Serving late-night food items like gourmet poutine is bang on, according to Mr. Healy. It's fun and simple, and theirs is the only venue to serve late-night eats, so it will help them to stand out.
One big question is whether to rent out the space for private functions during the week. "I think it's tough to be an art venue by day that serves food, and a club on weekend evenings," Mr. Healy says. "I think it's easier to be a restaurant that has wicked art on the walls by day and a lounge at night. It might not sound like a big difference, but from a brand perspective, the latter makes more sense. And as a restaurant, you also have a greater revenue stream coming in. You're not relying just on renting out the space."
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In a nutshell
The devil is in the details
Even the smallest decisions - the cut of the glass or the brand of alcohol you serve - need to mesh with the image you are trying to create.
Hire a manager
Double the business means double the troubles.
Price point is key
If you're not looking to attract the high-end martini crowd, don't even think about pushing $12 drinks.
Hang with caution
If you are going to hang art on the walls, do it wisely - ill-chosen pieces can jeopardize the image of a well-designed space.
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