The Bar Towel

JerCraigs wrote:

atomeyes wrote: opening in the sticks is actually the smartest thing to do. lower rent, for starters. and you're the only awesome pub in Mississauga? people will go. just look at what's opened in Barrie and other smaller cities recently.

Unless it has changed a lot in the last little while, Mississauga is not capable of supporting a good beer bar/brewpub solely on the basis of beer. It will need to attract a lot of non-drinkers and people there for the food. It also doesn't help that half of your target audience has to drive to your establishment because transit is still lacking in Mississauga despite significant improvements over the years.

I'd say the best option for Mississauga is something right in the heart of the city (near Square One), but land is at a premium in that area with all of the condo development. The point about transit is a good one, but we are in the middle of some major transit upgrades right now, which should help.

Most of us in the burbs are used to having to drive to get around (or pay cab fares) so a brewpub wouldn't present new issues for us, it would just present an option for a night out, which we sorely need. Aside from West 50, there isn't a single bar in the city that has more than a couple of standard craft options on tap. And West 50 has many, many issues.

I think there is a market for craft beer here, it's just that no one has tapped in to it yet.

TheSevenDuffs wrote:

JerCraigs wrote:

atomeyes wrote: opening in the sticks is actually the smartest thing to do. lower rent, for starters. and you're the only awesome pub in Mississauga? people will go. just look at what's opened in Barrie and other smaller cities recently.

Unless it has changed a lot in the last little while, Mississauga is not capable of supporting a good beer bar/brewpub solely on the basis of beer. It will need to attract a lot of non-drinkers and people there for the food. It also doesn't help that half of your target audience has to drive to your establishment because transit is still lacking in Mississauga despite significant improvements over the years.

I'd say the best option for Mississauga is something right in the heart of the city (near Square One), but land is at a premium in that area with all of the condo development. The point about transit is a good one, but we are in the middle of some major transit upgrades right now, which should help.

Most of us in the burbs are used to having to drive to get around (or pay cab fares) so a brewpub wouldn't present new issues for us, it would just present an option for a night out, which we sorely need. Aside from West 50, there isn't a single bar in the city that has more than a couple of standard craft options on tap. And West 50 has many, many issues.

I think there is a market for craft beer here, it's just that no one has tapped in to it yet.

I'd have to agree. I still enjoy WEST 50 once and a while. Even excluding the macro taps, there's still a solid selection of craft & good import draughts. But so many taps, does mean not a lot of rotation.

Mississauga also has a couple other places, with more of a craft beer focus:

Ribeye Jack's https://untappd.com/venue/1352097

and

The Crooked Cue https://untappd.com/venue/162235

But if there was a place here like THE ONLY CAFE or BEER BISTRO, or an outright brewpub like BAR VOLO or INDIE ALEHOUSE, I'd be there every week!

In Toronto, living in the Annex I can tell you it is in need for a quality beer establishment of any kind. There are a handfull of places where some decent beers are served (Victory, Grapefruit Moon...I guess Tallboys is close as well) but they are still fairly underwhelming as a beer destination. Most other spots in the area the best option is usually Tankhouse or Blanche De Chambly or worse. North York also is in dire need of a good beer spot or brewpub as well.

I think that Mississauga and Thornhill/Richmond Hill would be the most ideal suburbs for a brewpub. Like what TheSevenDuffs said about near square one would be a great spot and I'm sure it would see a ton of action. Pickering/Ajax would be another good spot as well.

Going North would be an interesting option. Yonge and Daivisville or Eglington might work pretty well.

squeaky wrote:Going North would be an interesting option. Yonge and Daivisville or Eglington might work pretty well.

The Granite has done well for itself, deservedly so, I'd say.

Further North is where it gets interesting. Lots of so called locavores showing off their nails, hair and Range Rovers at Pusateris, but I guess they want wine or scotch to prove they have made it.

Even further north we have that North York problem I mentioned earlier. I'm sure there would be patrons, but it's hard to count or even spot them amongst the office drones who go home to their big TVs after work or maybe think a chain restaurant is a night out.

Granite is terrif (I got married there last year) but they don't really cash in on the craft beer vibe much, do they? Whenever I'm in there I get the feeling it's mostly just a place for locals. Someone could probably put in a Bellwoods around Davisville and make a go of it, but of course that depends on finding the right space at the right price and being able to make/market beers like Bellwoods.

PeenSteen wrote:In Toronto, living in the Annex I can tell you it is in need for a quality beer establishment of any kind...

Know what I agree. I used to live there, and after 25 jaded years in Toronto I am bored stiff of the Bloor Annex and bored of Queen West. Yesterday I forced myself to 'get over it' and walk around some areas I've barely been for years, because the lack of creative businesses & banal corporate tone overwhelming those areas can be mind-numbing...

It's SUCH a breath of fresh air to have things like the Victory Cafe by Honest Eds and Bar Hop in King Condoland. I really respect the creative initiative of those who realize they don't have to give us another generic BBQ & Wings chain pushing Mill Street Organic & Corona - and that such a choice is no safe guarantee of success, in fact some of them sit pretty dead a lot of nights.

JerCraigs wrote:
It also doesn't help that half of your target audience has to drive to your establishment because transit is still lacking in Mississauga despite significant improvements over the years.

I agree with Duffs that square one location would probably be a great location, I'd also like to think that at some point, after some more re-development, old Brampton would be able to support something like this.

In terms of transit, things are (hopefully) going to get better for Mississauga/Brampton with an LRT line along the Hurontario/Main corridor starting in Port Credit and going up to Brampton GO station (and maybe further, with more lines, in the future). This could help make this stretch more pub-friendly.

^ yeah transit development is on a ROLL in the GTA. It's visionary.

Downtown core? *ducks*



My dream would have been a real Southern BBQ brewpub joint with live blues & rock music in the roundhouse where Leon's is. They'd have an awesome patio and I think I'd gain about a 100lbs easily. Probably for the best...

lister wrote:Downtown core? *ducks*



My dream would have been a real Southern BBQ brewpub joint with live blues & rock music in the roundhouse where Leon's is. They'd have an awesome patio and I think I'd gain about a 100lbs easily. Probably for the best...

That is a pretty amazing idea!

lister wrote:Downtown core? *ducks*



My dream would have been a real Southern BBQ brewpub joint with live blues & rock music in the roundhouse where Leon's is. They'd have an awesome patio and I think I'd gain about a 100lbs easily. Probably for the best...

The Amsterdam brewhouse isn't very far from that, other than the real Southern BBQ thing. Wanting that on top is expecting a little much.

squeaky wrote:The Amsterdam brewhouse isn't very far from that, other than the real Southern BBQ thing. Wanting that on top is expecting a little much.

True but the Roundhouse is closer to me, though the Amsterdam waterfront patio during summer is nice.

I said it was my dream, didn't I?

Essentially what I'd like is the look and feel of Dinosaur BBQ but even better with the additions I've mentioned.

squeaky wrote:Guys, Danforth East already has a brewery. The Left Field open house is this weekend not far from Donlands. Plus there are plenty of excellent craft beer options in the area already. The Only, Wren, Sarah's, Morgan's, Sauce and The Only again because it's that good. If you go further East where the rent is cheaper, the locals get less friendly. There's a very large Muslim population there, which could limit your support from locals. Also, while TTC is pretty good out there, driving there sorta sucks, which limits the appeal of bottle sales to the greater area.

Pretty good? There's *literally* a subway stop at the corner of Danforth and Greenwood. It doesn't get any better. And the drive is better than to, say, Bellwoods bottle shop

atomeyes wrote: you're a local, so you probably see the strip north of the Broadview subway station as the place where bad ideas go to die. other than Broadview Espresso, i've never seen anything near there thrive.

What about the porn store that used to be Broadview Espresso - it was there for a long while Magic Oven was on the strip for a long time too.

Its true that no-one gets off at Broadview station and walks north, everyone walks east.