As part of the City of Orillia’s My Main Street Local Business Accelerator Program, the My Main Street Success Story series highlights businesses in the Business Improvement Area that have achieved success through new and innovative business practices and partnerships.
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The most recent addition to Orillia’s nightlife is not found at your typical bar, but rather a café-turned-late-night-lounge.
The Lone Wolf Café is a specialty coffee shop by day and transforms into the After Dark Cocktail Lounge by night. Owned and operated by Max Lamontagne, this specialty bar can be found at 10 Matchedash St. S. in the heart of downtown Orillia.
Lamontagne moved from Ottawa to Orillia about eight years ago, citing Orillia’s charm as his primary reason for relocating to the city.
“I really liked Orillia as a town, and I could see myself living here for the rest of my life. It is close enough to the city to go for a weekend if you needed and the downtown is lively all summer. The community is very supportive of their downtown businesses, which was a big draw for me,” said Lamontagne.
“Orillia has a small-town charm you only really get outside of the cities. As I got more involved in the community, I realized there was a void to be filled and space for a specialty coffee shop.”
Lamontagne was impressed with the foot traffic and volume of visitors in the downtown, especially during the spring and summer seasons. He opened the Lone Wolf Café in July 2020 and it’s been a staple for downtown professionals ever since.
As time went on, Lamontagne saw the need for a mature adult nightlife in downtown Orillia. After working late in the café, he noticed there was a nice “speakeasy” atmosphere throughout the shop at night, which sparked the idea of the After Dark Cocktail Lounge.
“I wanted to create a nightlife experience where you could bring your parents, where everyone would feel comfortable,” Lamontagne said. “It is a space I wanted to create for everyone.”
The After Dark Cocktail Lounge has been a big success with the lounge fully packed most Friday and Saturday nights. The menu features an entire section of various espresso martinis as well as the classics, wines, craft beers, and specialty cocktails created specifically for their lounge that will continuously change with the seasons. The lounge attracts an audience of young professionals, students, and entrepreneurs.
After a few short months, Lamontagne has already expanded hours of operation to keep up with the growing demand. As the weather gets nicer, the After Dark Cocktail Lounge will expand to being open five nights a week, Wednesday through Sunday.
In addition to expanding hours, Lamontagne is exploring several partnerships with other entrepreneurs. A recent partnership with Provenance Commissary, a new wine bar that is slated to open in downtown Orillia this spring, will allow patrons to attend wine-tasting events at the After Dark Cocktail Lounge. Lamontagne noted partnerships with like-minded entrepreneurs like Doug Cooper, owner of Provenance Commissary, have allowed him to collaborate and strengthen his business.
“Coffee shops are a very social business, and this experience has allowed me to meet so many great people,” said Lamontagne. “These relationships are mutually beneficial. In the case of Provenance (Commissary), Doug has taught me a great deal about wine and, in return, I’m able to offer him a unique venue for his wine-tasting events — the first of which sold out in six hours.”
With so much interest in the first wine-tasting event, more are likely on the horizon.
The Lone Wolf Café is looking forward to partnering with more Orillia businesses in the future. He supplies his coffee to the Common Stove and PICNIC, and Eclectic Café supplies Lone Wolf with local baked goods.
“Doing business in Orillia is great. I’ve met so many nice business owners,” said Lamontagne. “Even though we are competing, it’s a friendly competition where we support one another and partner together to make everyone better and better.”
To learn more about investment and business opportunities in Orillia, visit the city's business development website at businessinorillia.ca, subscribe to the Quarterly Newsletter or contact the city’s business development office at 705-325-4900 or [email protected]. To learn more about the My Main Street program, visit orillia.ca/mymainstreet.