The food experience at the Lake Simcoe Regional Airport terminal has been upgraded since the arrival of Off Eleven Pizza + Eats this past summer.
Located at a former pizza spot inside the terminal at the Oro-Medonte facility, this newly renovated restaurant features more selection and choice, and a more appealing space for passengers, visitors and airport staff.
“We felt it was best to continue with the pizza offering. However, we wanted to offer gourmet pizza using premium ingredients and other delicious menu options,” Stella Gan, a representative of Liberty Hospitality Corporation, which operates Off Eleven, tells BarrieToday.
While pizza remains the primary menu choice, other options include a chicken parmigiana sandwich and savoury individual pies, such as turkey pot pie, chicken pot pie, and steak and Guinness pot pie.
“Our chicken parmigiana has earned quite the reputation in town,” Gan says.
Also expected are weekly specials like a beer-battered crispy cod sandwich and fries, truffle garlic parmesan chicken wings, and a variety of featured pizzas, accompanied by a selection of beer, wine and hard seltzer.
“We also offer the option to BYOW, allowing our customers to bring their favourite bottle of commercially made wine to enjoy with their meal for a minimal corkage fee,” she says.
Gan noted interior improvements were made to provide a modern and chic yet comfortable space for guests to dine in while enjoying front-row views of the runway.
“We have a beautiful outdoor patio with the best view of the sunset in the summer months,” she adds.
Off Eleven, as Gan defines it, is a casual, limited-service restaurant where customers are treated like friends and family.
For instance, she recalls one time when Off Eleven’s chef, Tim, went out of his way to co-create a special character pizza with the five-year-old son of a customer who recently had a health scare. His mother later reported the experience “lifted his spirits and made the sparkle come back to his eyes.”
Surprisingly, the clientele of Off Eleven is mainly from outside the airport community.
“Most of our customers are Oro-Medonte residents who heard about us from word of mouth, which is amazing as we are tucked in this airport and unless you know where we are, you won’t find us,” Gan says. “Many customers also come from the local businesses nearby. And we have made many friends with pilots who fly in regularly and they ensure to fly in on days we are open.”
All of the fare served at Off Eleven is created and tested first at events space and catering company Liberty North in Barrie, of which the restaurant is an extension, Gan says.
As the first licensed dining facility at the Lake Simcoe Regional Airport, and part of its continued expansion plan, Off Eleven seeks to keep a high bar for everyone in the lounge, passengers or not.
“Our goal is to continue to offer great service and to help elevate the service offerings by the airport and the County of Simcoe for the surrounding community and visitors alike,” Gan says.
The Lake Simcoe Regional Airport is located at 30 Airport Rd., off Line 7 in Oro-Medonte, about halfway between Barrie and Orillia.
Off Eleven is closed for the Christmas break beginning Dec. 24 and will reopen Jan. 9.
Information about operation hours and dates can be found at offelevenpizza.ca.
