The latest restaurant to set up shop in Orillia’s booming west end is open for business.
State and Main, at 3281 Monarch Dr., opened Saturday.
“The feedback we’ve been getting is great,” owner Stephen Moro said, noting there were 40 reservations for opening night. “I got around to each of the tables and, without exception, everyone had a great time.”
Moro described State and Main as “a high-end experience without having to pay a high-end price.”
“It’s casual dining but not pretentious,” he said. “It’s affordable and accessible.”
State and Main has a big menu that draws from a diverse assortment of cultural cuisines, including Italian- and Asian-inspired dishes. It was the bang bang shrimp that had Moro hooked the first time he ate at one of the chain’s locations.
“It really made me excited about making this investment because the food was so good,” he said. “Everything is made fresh in-house. It has influences from around the world.”
Moro, who lives just outside of Orillia, owns Kelseys and Montana’s restaurants out of town. Those two already have locations in Orillia, so he decided to bring State and Main to the Sunshine City. He said he’s excited to be part of the growth happening in the west end.
“I saw Barrie grow in the 20 years I was there. I know that growth of residential and business, and that excitement that Barrie enjoyed over the years is happening in Orillia,” he said. “We wanted a place in our community, and this is a perfect brand for Orillia.”
State and Main in Orillia employs about 60 people, and Moro said a restaurant is only as good as its staff.
“We were concerned initially because this is a huge investment, but we were amazed at the number of people who applied,” he said, adding the staff members have a wide range of experience.
State and Main began in the United States, where those are popular street names.
“Every town has ‘that’ intersection. It’s the centre, the meeting point in town. That’s really the genesis of it,” Moro explained.
The Orillia location is open Sunday to Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Thursday to Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. The menu can be found here.
