A cozy spot to enjoy some sophisticated dining could be just around the corner.
Or at your own table at home.
A unique downtown Barrie restaurant has a variety of ways for residents to customize their dining experience.
B'Spoke Kitchen & Market is about creating the perfect fit, according to co-founder and CEO Chris Frechette.
“We're inspired by bespoke tailoring — custom suits that are made just for you — and we've created a virtual restaurant marketplace,” he tells BarrieToday. “Multiple restaurants can be visited in the same virtual place, allowing our guests to get exactly what they want. The marketplace has food that is designed to be enjoyed at home, at the office or on the go.”
Or in the nice, bright space that is the bricks and mortar of the operation at 55 Collier St.
“This was a really cool spot before us,” Frechette says. “They had some unique and interesting design elements to their restaurant, some of which we modified to fit our style.”
Check out the greenery on the ceiling.
B'Spoke was envisioned by friends and colleagues Frechette and Clinton Boyd in 2020 and officially launched in February 2021 with their first virtual kitchen named Pirogi+.
They now employ more than 15 people and have expanded to three virtual kitchens with the addition of B'Spoke Bowls and Bangers Gourmet Franks as well the B'Side Bar.
“As we grow, our hope is to continue to add to our offerings and provide a place for other chefs and entrepreneurs to sell their food from our market,” Frechette says.
There are sharables like the B’side mussels (with chef’s feature sauce), fries gremolata (parmesan, crushed red pepper, parsley) or shrimped gyoza (shrimp dumpling, daikon slaw, sesame seeds, ponzu).
Or features like the Thai curry B'Spoke bowl or the Bangers Gourmet Franks banh mi sausage (andouille sausage, cucumber, pickled red onion, grilled pineapple slaw, spicy mayo, sautéed jalapeño, cilantro, brioche bun).
“From our guests to our neighbours, everyone has shown tremendous support, which has been especially appreciated considering the tough times we're facing,” says Frechette, describing the downtown Barrie community as “fantastic.”
“The city, the Downtown Barrie BIA and all the local businesses have been so helpful,” he says. “It really feels like a proper community of people all trying to succeed together. Our guests show a lot of pride in being citizens of Barrie and there's a genuine excitement about growth and opportunities in this city’s development. It's been pretty cool.”
Just how important are good employees during these perilous times for restaurants?
“We count ourselves very lucky with the team that we've found along the way as we've opened and grown,” Frechette says. “Our industry as a whole has faced its biggest challenges maybe ever, and if there's one thing that you absolutely must have to survive such difficult times, it's great people to help you through.
“Our employees have helped us start and build our business, and many have been with us since the very early days when things were a little less than certain. We can't say enough about how important that is to our success.”
And when it comes to serving food, it’s personal, he says.
“There’s an indescribable satisfaction when you can take a mundane activity like eating — that people do three or more times a day — and turn it into something special. The interactions, friendships, laughs — and tears — and celebrations that hospitality workers get to share with people is something you just don't get anywhere else.”
