A handful of new, revamped or expanded clubs are joining the nightlife scene in the Ottawa area this fall. Read MoreFrom Wakefield to the west end, new establishments are taking root.
From Wakefield to the west end, new establishments are taking root.
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A handful of new, revamped or expanded clubs are joining the nightlife scene in the Ottawa area this fall.
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While the opening of Live Nation’s History venue in the ByWard Market is still months away, other operators aren’t waiting for spring to launch new projects. From Wakefield to the west end, new establishments are taking root.
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The list includes: the creation of Fono, an all-new space in a 100-year-old Centretown building; the upcoming launch of Robo Lounge at The Clemow rental tower; the reopening of Wakefield’s venerable Black Sheep Inn; a new vision for Cafe Dekcuf on Rideau Street; and a new chapter for a Baseline Road watering hole.
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Let’s start with Fono, a hi-fi lounge to be nestled in a century-old brick building at the intersection of Bronson and Gladstone avenues. It’s a passion project kickstarted by Matías Muñoz, who founded the Ottawa Showbox blog and was part of the team that ran Cinqhole, a DIY arts venue in Hintonburg. It closed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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The Evening Citizen
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This time, Muñoz and his partners are transforming the former headstone-carving shop at 473 Bronson Ave. into a modern lounge with an emphasis on an audiophile-quality listening experience.
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“The whole idea of this spot is that it is a hi-fi bar. It will have exceptional sound quality,” Muñoz said during a walk through the interior, which is divided into two rooms. The front room is the hi-fi lounge, with built-in state-of-the-art speakers to be installed, while the back room will host small-scale music and DJ events.
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The building is completely accessible, with a bus stop at the front door and parking available on nearby streets.
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Together, the capacity of the two rooms is only about 100 patrons, which is plenty big enough for the types of events Muñoz plans to present. He’s not trying to compete for clientele with spots like History Ottawa, the 2,000-capacity concert hall set to open next spring.
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“We can do all kinds of events here, whether it’s a dance party, a jazz night or a chill after-dinner night,” Muñoz said. “It’s going to be a little different from the normal venue space model. We just want to get people in here doing interesting things, like a testing ground for all kinds of experimental ideas and types of music.”
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As for the menu, Muñoz plans to offer local beer, natural wines and small-plate, savoury dishes inspired by tapas. The name Fono, Spanish slang for phone, is another nod to Muñoz’s Latin heritage.