A new business has boarded the Island Princess at the Port of Orillia.
The Island Princess Tiki Barge is serving cocktails and shareable menu items on the rooftop patio Thursdays through Sundays from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Co-owner Jeremy Rawlins says the restaurant’s simple but impressive menu includes panini, wraps, charcuterie boards, and guacamole and chips. Kawartha Dairy ice cream is available off of the main deck.
“We had a great opening weekend during the boat show,” Rawlins said of last weekend’s opening. “There is a lot of local interest and interest from tourists as well.”
The biggest selling point for the new business is nostalgia. Rawlins says the boat is a sentimental landmark for locals and cottagers alike.
“It’s a place where people can go and relive memories,” he said. “I don’t know how many people have approached me to tell me that they have either been married on the boat, been to a wedding or have been on a cruise through Lake Couchiching on it.”
The view from the rooftop patio is the best in Orillia, Rawlins says.
The Tiki Barge also provides a casual and fun vibe with live music daily.
“We have everything from a DJ playing Caribbean vibe music to country singers and all in between,” he said.
With other viable lakeside restaurants with more diverse menus nearby, Rawlins says the Island Princess Tiki Barge has to stand out.
“The vibe that we’ve created with our laid-back and inviting atmosphere is what separates us from anyone else,” he said. “We aren’t pretending to be a place you are going to take a date for burgers and fries or steak. We are more so the pre- and appetizer place for dinner.”
While the Island Princess Tiki Barge is currently docked, Rawlins says it may set sail on Lake Couchiching again someday.
“The boat is still commissioned,” he said. “At this current point, we aren’t ready to do it. In the future, it’s definitely an option we would love to look at.”
The Island Princess Tiki Barge will be open seven days a week from Canada Day to Labour Day. It will then operate with limited hours until it closes for the season sometime around the Thanksgiving weekend, depending on the weather.
