Keystone Hospitality, the team behind local food favourites like Braai House and the Alley, is poised to launch a new restaurant concept in Stratford this month.
Co-owner Anthony Jordaan said that he and his partner in life and business, Kimberly Hurley, hadn’t planned to add another new venture to their restaurant group this year. When the space at 145 Ontario St. became available, however, they knew it was the perfect spot for an idea they had been developing on-and-off for the past several years.
Bowl Bar is a quick-service restaurant focused on wholesome bowls and salads made with local, organic ingredients. Jordaan said the seed that would eventually become Bowl Bar first took root at Keystone restaurant the Alley in 2016.
“We did one or two bowls out of there – it was something my wife [Hurley] and I would eat at home that we really liked,” explained Jordaan, saying the bowls quickly became one of the Alley’s bestselling dishes.
Among their first bowl creations was the Hippie Bowl, a combination of quinoa, brown rice, sprouted lentils, hemp seeds, broccoli, baby kale, tomatoes, carrots, beets, crispy chickpeas, and a tahini-based dressing.
Jordaan and Hurley soon began serving the Hippie Bowl and several other healthy bowls out of their Downie Street store, the Little Green Grocery. “We started what we called ‘Bowl Bar’ out the back of the grocery store, not thinking that it would take off the way it did,” said Jordaan. “It became too much for that little space to handle.”
Now, with the opening of Bowl Bar’s first independent storefront, Jordaan and his team are getting the chance to expand their menu beyond their popular Hippie Bowl – although he says we can still expect this staple to be among the 12-15 bowls available at the restaurant.
“It’s going to be a bit of a surprise,” said Jordaan of the menu. “Some have tuna in them and mango – really cool, summery bowls.” He adds that the restaurant’s bowl selection will rotate seasonally.
The Bowl Bar team has also been hinting at some upcoming menu items via its social channels, sharing photos of a cashew cheesecake topped with seasonal fruit; sprouted lentil falafel balls; and a 'Three Sisters Bowl, featuring sweet potato, marinated black beans, beets, toasted pumpkin seeds, and chipotle dressing, among other fresh ingredients.
“The whole idea of Bowl Bar was just something that's super healthy and quick – but not like fake healthy but it's actually really healthy,” said Jordaan, explaining that high-quality ingredients are the foundation of the restaurant’s bowls. For drinks, Bowl Bar will offer a small smoothie menu, along with a curated tea list from Stratford tea sommelier, Karen Hartwick.
While Bowl Bar will be set-up for easy grab-and-go service, Jordaan says the restaurant also has a large patio that wraps around the front and side of the building as well as casual interior seating for customers who want to dine-in. “We like bright, cool, vibrant colours,” said Jordaan, adding the restaurant’s stylish aesthetic will feel familiar to fans of Keystone Hospitality’s other businesses.
Jordaan has targeted this weekend as a soft launch date for Bowl Bar. “I think people are going to be blown away when they come in and try the food,” he said. “This is probably one of our projects that my wife and I are the most excited about. It's food that really nourishes your soul. It's healthy food that makes you feel good about yourself.”
145 Ontario Street, Stratford
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@bowlbarstratford
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