Once he’s removed the gravestones and the bicycles, Matías Muñoz plans to turn a 100-year-old building at 473 Bronson Ave. into what he calls “Centretown’s living room.”
Muñoz has watched Ottawa’s music scene evolve in the years since the pandemic. As a music promoter, he was familiar with many of the venues that would eventually close their doors after COVID, such as Barrymore’s Music Hall and Babylon on Bank Street. And he knew the feeling all too well himself, after his own DIY music venue, Cinqhole, closed after a few months of operation in 2020.
Still, Muñoz told OBJ this week that he’s held on to a passion for live music and urban spaces in Ottawa. So, when he was touring 473 Bronson Ave. last year, something clicked. He had gone in looking for a space to expand his rehearsal business, Green Room Rehearsal Studios, but came away with another ambition.
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“As soon as I walked in, I was amazed. It’s this 100-year-old building with a beautiful façade and a lightbulb went off in my head. I wasn’t sure if I’d ever get back into creating space for music, but I hung onto that idea and I said to myself, ‘I have to do something here.’”
Once a lease agreement was in place last summer, Muñoz started working on transforming the former Re-Cycles space into Fono, a “multi-purpose event space and high-fidelity lounge.”
Learning from his experience with Cinqhole, Muñoz said he wanted to be more intentional about curating the space at Fono.
“I hired designers, architects and contractors from the beginning to make sure that everything was planned correctly. Now, because we have a solid plan and (are) working with the right people, it makes a huge difference.”
Opening on April 10, Fono will be a “hub for the community,” Muñoz said. By day, it will serve coffee and sandwiches and, by night, beer, wine, cocktails and small bites – all woven together with music from a state-of-the-art sound system, inspired by the intimate Japanese kissa bar tradition.
“Kissa bar culture centres around intentional listening. The acoustics in the room have been fine-tuned. Everything centres around music in different ways here,” he said.
The audio system is set up for “an unparalleled listening experience,” he added.
“We worked with a Montreal company called Automatic Audio to build this beautiful system with six loudspeakers that are placed strategically so that anywhere you sit or stand, it sounds amazing … Even if the music is really loud, you can still have a normal conversation with the person sitting next to you.”
The space is divided into two sections: the hi-fi lounge and the ballroom. The ballroom is a flexible space at the back of the building that can host “anything from corporate meetings to private birthday parties, while we’re still having the public hanging out in the front lounge.”
The ballroom’s flexibility is what will keep Fono a sustainable business in the long run.
“The old model of music venues is that you come in, watch a show, buy a bunch of booze and that’s it. There’s nothing wrong with that, but to have a sustainable business, you have to be able to bring in money in other ways. We have coffee during the day. We have the potential for providing space for corporate meetings. We’re not just dependent on alcohol sales,” Muñoz explained.
“It’s a bit of a different business model, but I think it’s one that is appropriate for the time and modern economy we’re in. We’re keeping things flexible, keeping people interested. I think that everything we do here will feel different from the last time because there is no set-in-stone model that we’re operating under.”
Working with chef Pat Muir, who previously worked at Arlo Wine and Restaurant on Somerset Street West, Muñoz is curating a minimalist food and beverage program that will complement the venue without taking the spotlight.
“I’m by no means a restaurateur. To me, music is at the core of everything. Everything around it just supports (the music),” Muñoz said.
Still, he said there will be a focus on making the food and beverage program Ottawa-first by working with local producers such as Lulo Coffee and giving a nod to bygone venues with the names of Fono’s cocktails.
As for the design of the space, Muñoz worked with his wife, creative director Meaghan Murphy, and local design firm Wei Sanchez to give the space a minimalist look and inviting feel.
Touting the space as “Centretown’s living room,” Muñoz said he wants people to see Fono as a third space where they can feel at ease.
“When you come here, you just feel like you’re hanging out with friends. We want it to feel like you’re putting a record on in your friend’s living room,” he said. “We’ve strategically chosen the decor with a lot of vintage furniture to make the space feel like (people) can be at ease.”
Muñoz added that he wants Fono to be a place where artistic expression thrives – something that, if achieved, could mean long-term success.
“I want this place to be a hub for (the artistic) communities. My philosophy is that the success of the business, financially, will come, but you have to put your ‘reason why’ first. The reason why I’m doing this is for the music, for the community. Some businesses get that mixed up … I think putting a lot of care into the details of the audio, the visuals and the feel of this room will (lead to) a better experience when people walk in.”
And, he wants Fono to be braided into the fabric of the Centretown community.
“We want to do community events. We want this to be a place where other businesses come and do pop-ups,” Muñoz said, adding that he was inspired by the “harvest party” hosted by Miam Miam General Store on Somerset Street West last fall.
With a few hurdles still to jump – like taking old gravestones out of the building’s basement, a nod to when the space was occupied by George Brown and Sons – Muñoz said he’s looking forward to opening weekend.
“Fono is going to be something really different for Ottawa. (It’ll be) a really fun place to work and a fun place to come and hang out.”
