After almost two years of pop-up market analysis,
Ottawa’s Kichesippi Beer
is taking a plunge into the prime downtown area of Sparks Street.
Opening Dec. 1, the Commons at 187 Sparks St. is the Bells Corners-based craft brewer’s second location, and an important step in the long-range vision of owner Paul Meek.
“Our plan with the brewery has always been to be part of the Ottawa experience,” Meek said in an interview. “If you have people in town for the weekend, you
go to the Rideau Canal
, you go to
the Parliament Buildings
and then you get your
local beer.
“We can’t accomplish that goal without having a downtown presence. We finally found a spot we thought was a good way to go about it.”
To test his theory, the company held several pop-ups over the last couple of years, setting up on Sparks Street during popular
events like Winterlude
and
Ribfest
. The pilot project not only helped them get to know the neighbourhood and its clientele but also work with the Downtown BIA (formerly the Sparks Street BIA, renamed this year following a boundary expansion).
During the pop-ups, Meek discovered there were two types of customers: Locals who were familiar with the brand,
and tourists who
didn’t know a thing about it.
“People would walk in and they’d go, ‘Can I get a Miller Lite or a Heineken?’ and we’d say, ‘No we’re local,’ and they’d kind of groan, expecting a home brew or something,” Meek said.
Instead, they would be persuaded to try a Heller Highwater lager, an 1855 amber or a North Shore NEIPA, to name a few of Kichesippi’s brews.
“It was really a lot of fun to engage with those tourists who had no idea who we were but wanted to experience something that was part of Ottawa,” Meek said.
Other insights from customers during the testing period highlighted the lack of certain offerings on that block of Sparks Street. They wanted l
ocally roasted coffee,
and a convenient place to buy wine and beer.
To fill those gaps, The Commons secured a partnership with Ottawa’s Happy Goat coffee, and integrated a bottle shop into the business plan. It’s stocked with a selection of beer and cider, along with Canadian and international wines, including some that Meek said are not available at LCBO outlets.
As for the menu, Meek said he’s not trying to compete with the restaurants on Ottawa’s historic pedestrian mall. He described the concept as a “drink-and-snack” kind of spot, whether it’s coffee and a muffin in the morning, or beer and, say, a Jamaican patty or a pretzel after work.
“It’s all local suppliers, but nothing like a dinner with a knife and fork. That’s just not what we offer,” Meek said.
Starting Dec. 1, The Commons opens at 8 a.m. Monday to Friday, and 9 a.m. on weekends, closing at 10 p.m. each day.
