While coming up with the idea to open a bar in the Royal City, owner and operator Doug Todd wanted to keep the identity of the Ward.
Less than a year into existence, Standing Room Only has racked up a few achievements.
Restaurant-reservation website Open Table has named the bar as one of Canada’s top 100 restaurants in 2023, using more than one million reviews and dining metrics to craft its list.
Upon learning Open Table’s announcement, Todd said he was flattered and humbled that the business has cracked the list.
“This little experiment is, obviously, working and it’s organically growing beautifully, I just want to put my foot on the gas and let it go,” he said.
In addition to being chosen as one of the top restaurants for this year, the bar was dubbed the smallest bar in Canada in March.
Todd said it was important to recognize the history of the area in developing the design for the bar.
“That area back in the day was quite sketchy. It was very prohibition-type, it was kind of driven in that direction,” Todd said. “So I thought, let’s take it back, let’s remember the history of this area.”
The bar on Ontario Street opened less than a year ago and serves creative cocktails in a 144-square-foot building and has enough room for nine people. Initially, Todd said he never intended it to be Canada’s smallest bar.
“That was the furthest thing from our mind,” he said. “I was helping the landlord fix the building up when that particular room was being prepared for a couple barbers.”
Todd said the barbers backed out at the last minute and then ideas started going around, even using the room as a takeout place for ice cream. A friend then made the recommendation of turning it into a bar. From there, the work began.
Todd spoke to Melanie Gyles, a friend who works for a Toronto-based design company. He wanted to design the space for an older crowd, which has since received positive feedback.
“And after mulling it back and forth, we came up with a design and people love what they see when they get here. Let’s kind of go Willy Wonka, Dr.Seuss, maybe a little dash of Disney. You’re so consumed by what’s in the room and the activities that go on in the room.”
Then they started coming up with ideas for cocktails, intending on leaving people with the experience of wanting to come back.
“This type of atmosphere doesn’t work for a typical bar,” Todd said. “If somebody tried to step in, for instance, somebody tried to buy it and say ‘we’re going to take it from this point’, unless they get the right charisma behind that bar, it isn’t going to work.”
Moving forward, he said the goal is still to have fun.
And as the establishment looks to ride present momentum, Todd said he wants to ensure the bar is maintained as a staple in Guelph.
“It’s like the rubik’s cube. It goes together one specific way and it works. There is no reason to reinvent anything, it’s just happening, so we just keep that momentum going.”
And after hitting one milestone, Todd said this new accomplishment has been added to and checked off his bucket list.
“We’re just going to run with it. Have fun with it until somebody else comes up with something smaller,” he said.
Follow Standing Room Only on Instagram here.
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