In this instalment of My Ottawa, Karla Briones shares her favourite hidden gems in her “adopted city,” from immigrant-owned businesses and the best spot to catch the sunset to the Ottawa neighbourhoods and festivals that remind her most of Mexico.
Whether you’re an active member of the Ottawa business community or a casual OBJ reader, you probably recognize the name Karla Briones.
A serial entrepreneur and business advocate, Briones has more than 15 years of experience launching, growing and scaling businesses. Whether through her business consulting and strategy agency KB Consulting or her online platform Immigrant Developing Entrepreneurs Academy (IDEA), Briones is dedicated to educating and connecting newcomers and immigrants in the Canadian business ecosystem.
A proud Mexican-Canadian, Briones has been recognized as a Nation’s Capital Immigrant Entrepreneur of the Year and a Top 25 Immigrant by Canadian Immigrant Magazine and a Tedx Speaker on immigrant entrepreneurship.
Whether it’s seeking out hole-in-the-wall restaurants or popping into her favourite Westboro boutique, Briones supports Ottawa businesses almost around the clock.
In this instalment of My Ottawa, Briones shares her favourite hidden gems in her “adopted city,” from immigrant-owned businesses and the best spot to catch the sunset to the Ottawa neighbourhoods and festivals that remind her most of Mexico.
What area of the city/region do you live in?
I live in the Woodpark/McKellar Park area.
What type of home do you have (condo, house, etc.)?
House.
What type of pet do you have?
One dog (Mexican hairless), two cats (Sphynx) and two bunnies.
What type of car do you drive?
Honda CRV.
What’s your favourite part of town?
I love the ByWard Market – it’s the closest we have in Ottawa to the centre plazas I’m used to from back home in Mexico. I love the hustle and bustle of the ByWard, especially during the summer months.
What is your favourite place to eat in Ottawa?
I’m a perpetual strip mall, unassuming restaurant-seeker. I’ve had the best meals in tiny, family-owned spots tucked away in corners where you wouldn't expect them.
Some of my favourites: The Sarangi Cuisine of India - best North Indian food place located near Carlingwood Shopping Centre.
The food is incredible and the service is that of a three-star Michelin restaurant.
Other hidden gems: Sushi Zone and Ramen Stop inside the ByWard Market building. The husband-and-wife team prepares the best fresh noodles in front of your eyes while their toddler son hangs around in the family business. The food is to die for, but the experience of seeing a hard-working immigrant family of entrepreneurs with their kid on-site reminds me of my own upbringing.
Last but not least, Pita Bell Kabab Charcoal Grill also on Carling Avenue is an explosion of the best Turkish smells, flavours and atmosphere. Make sure you go with a big group and are hungry. It never disappoints!
What is your favourite activity in Ottawa?
Anything in the summer! I’m a sun and heat kind of gal and I come alive during Ottawa’s summer. I believe Ottawa has the best sunsets I’ve ever seen - even in all my travels.
My favourite activity is chasing sunsets and finding the best spot for it. The all-time winner: sunset at Britannia Beach or the Britannia Yacht Club.
Other activities: paddleboarding on the canal or Shirley’s Bay or biking down the parkway on Sundays and having a drink at any of the awesome NCC patios, especially the one at Remic Rapids.
What’s your favourite hobby?
I live a busy life as a mom of two, business owner and mentor. My hobbies are those where I get to slow down and work with my hands creating intricate things – this forces me to be present and in the moment while creating something beautiful. Designing and making seed-bead earrings and sewing my own clothes are by far my most delicious hobbies.
What’s your favourite local charity or cause?
As the owner of two Global Pet Foods stores, I’m a big supporter of animal support groups, such as Humane Canada, based in Ottawa. They advocate to end animal cruelty and support animal welfare.
As well, as the mother of an incredible trans teenager, I’ll be a lifetime supporter of Ten Oaks. They support rainbow-family kids and create welcoming, inclusive and accessible summer camps where my son has thrived and created beautiful memories. They’ve been a lifeline!
What’s your favourite festival?
My favourite festival ever was the La Machine Robot Dragon Festival, which took place in 2017 to celebrate Ottawa's 125th anniversary. This innovative event captivated the city, leaving everyone who attended not only mesmerized but also extremely proud to live in Ottawa.
I also love the Summer Solstice Indigenous Festival — it’s incredible to see how rich Canadian Indigenous culture is. Attending the PowWow, which draws Indigenous communities from across North America, is a truly enriching experience that I believe everyone should have at least once.
And last but not least, the Day of the Dead Festival at the ByWard Market keeps getting better and better every year. As a Mexican person, I feel so proud to be able to see and share our traditions in my adopted city.
If you were to play tour guide for a first-time visitor to Ottawa for a day, where would you take them?
I would stop by Escape Bicycle Tours and book a bike tour to see Parliament and the downtown core as well as the waterfront.
What’s your favourite retailer in Ottawa?
I love small, independent shops. Flock is a great boutique in Wellington West that has clothes and accessories by Canadian-made designers.
However, I’m also a thrifter! I recently discovered a thrift store called Thrive - a social enterprise by the Big Brothers Big Sisters organization. They have great clothes at great prices!
And honourable mention would be the vendors at 613Flea, the Minerva bi-weekly Sunday summer market vendors at the ByWard on York Street, and the Immigrant Entrepreneur Canada shipping container pop-up shop on York Street — it has a new immigrant entrepreneur every week launching their business until the end of October.
What’s your favourite live music or entertainment venue?
I love, love, love live music. Any type, from church music to hard rock. If it’s live, I become alive. The Rainbow Bistro is an all-time favourite. Obviously, the NAC is a favourite as well — majestic and world-class.
What type of music do you listen to?
Everything. If it’s live, even better. However, my playlists are a mix of Latin pop (Shakira), classical (Bizet), jazz (Louis Armstrong) and whatever my kids introduce me to. My 12-year-old daughter is a gifted musician who plays many instruments including the electric guitar, so Carlos Santana’s music is on repeat at home right now — live, through her strums!
Where do you get your hair cut?
At Ivan Beauty Salon near Carlingwood. The owner is a newcomer that arrived after the Syrian war. She is extremely gifted in her craft. She is not only a great hairdresser, but her prices are incredibly fair.
What’s your favourite weekend outing to do with family or friends?
When I was little, my parents used to put my brothers and I in the car and we would drive to small, hidden towns near my hometown in Mexico and we’d discover off-the-beaten-path gems. This is one of my fondest childhood memories that I’ve decided to continue the tradition here in Ottawa.
My favourite activity is to drive out and discover little towns in the outskirts of Ottawa. If I’m staying in Ottawa, I like going to the Britannia Yacht Club to enjoy live music and a drink by the water — I don’t own a boat, though. But this club has social memberships where boatless people like me (ha!) can use the premises, pickleball courts and take part in the social activities that happen throughout the year.
