Speakeasies, high tea and kitschy decorations — it’s beginning to look a lot like … Christmas?
This holiday season, at least three Ottawa bars are doubling-down on holiday cheer in a bid to boost business.
Since opening in 2021, Nan’s Parlour on Clarence Street in the ByWard Market has become known for its Christmas-themed decor. During the difficult years of the pandemic, the cocktail bar needed to create an experience for people to come in, especially at the end of the year, according to Melanie Veenbaas, marketing and “vibes manager.”
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The result was a kitschy, vintage-inspired Christmas theme designed to make patrons feel like they were spending time at grandma’s house during the holidays.
The decorations come from the bar’s owners and from thrift shops. This year, Veenbaas said, it took the Nan’s team five days to transform the space. And the concept has only grown in popularity.
“Last year, we opened on Nov. 28. There was a lineup at the door the first day and it never stopped … We were a little less organized last year. We didn’t have a pager system and large groups would move furniture around and we’d lose our pathway. So this year we got a hold of all that and decided to open two weeks earlier to mitigate the rush,” she said, adding that, so far, this year has been just as busy.
She says the holiday makeover has resulted in a surge of sales compared to the rest of the year. “When it’s decorated, the room is packed every day. Typically, Nan’s is open Thursday, Friday and Saturday and we’re open all week when this is going on … It’s quite the difference.”
At Lowertown Brewery on York Street, Alex Sirois said he was looking for something to do with an empty brewing space in the building’s basement.
“In February last year we repurposed the brewery since we’re no longer brewing on-site. We had the space, but it was (being used as) storage. I thought we could do something a little bit more fun with it, so we made a private room but we didn’t have a full concept for it yet,” said Sirois, managing partner of Ottawa Venues, which operates the brewery.
Sirois, who has seen success in turning the brewery’s second level into a sports bar, worked with Kyle Ellis, a brand and creative strategy consultant, to come up with the idea of “Santa’s speakeasy,” where patrons must give a passcode to enter the nostalgic 1990s-themed bar.
As soon as Lowertown posted about the idea on social media, Sirois received more than 350 reservations for the space over its six-week period and 60 people booked for the opening night.
“It’s going to be a great exposure for the business,” he said, adding that while he expects the speakeasy to bring in extra sales, the idea will also bring spillover revenue for Lowertown’s main floor business. “It’s going to be nice because if you’re waiting for a table and you don’t have a reservation (at the speakeasy), you’ll still be inside at Lowertown having a beer or a cocktail.”
Over on Somerset Street West, Ivan Gedz said he received an email in August from interior design firm Five Golden Rings about creating a holiday pop-up. Gedz, the owner of Union 613 and Jabberwocky Catering, said he was unsure, perhaps even a tad Grinchy.
“Initially I dismissed it because I’m not the biggest fan of Christmas,” Gedz said. But he soon became convinced. “They pitched us something we felt aligned with our brand … The thing they do is they’re collectors of vintage Christmas paraphernalia so we felt it worked with our rustic decor.”
So far, it’s paid off, with Union 613 selling out tickets for its holiday high tea event and related workshops. Gedz said, “The high tea idea sold out in a day-and-a-half with 180 reservations … We are certainly going to make a ton off the food and alcohol sales, so it’s been a boon.”
With business during the holiday season typically hit or miss, this year he’s already seen a 25 per cent increase in sales compared to last year.
“We felt there was potential to lean into things and drive a buzz about our place and expose ourselves to new clients,” he said, adding that about three-quarters of reservations for the high tea event are new customers to Union.
“I had no idea of how (enthusiastic) people are about Christmas, so I think there is a lot of room for different businesses to lean into it.”
