NEW HQ FOR EQUAL PARTS
Burgeoning local hospitality firm to set up head office in Empire Times building
Restaurateur and entrepreneur Jason Cassis is keeping his eye on the future when it comes to growing his hospitality management company, but it’s always nice to have a home base.
That’s why Equal Parts Hospitality is building a head office downtown, which will house all of its back-office staff for its yearold company.
The 1,700-square-foot location will also offer a central spot to connect for its 240 employees at Aberdeen Tavern, which has been around for four years, The Diplomat, Knollwood Golf Course and The French.
“We just finally found our spot,” said Cassis, who is cofounder and CEO of Equal Parts, which conceptualizes, funds, builds and manages hospitality industry assets.
That spot is on the second floor of the Empire Times building on King William Street — an openconcept, brick-and-beam space that will house private offices, a collaborative working area and sections where staff can set up laptops.
Think big tables and white boards where people can dream up recipes and drink concoctions, and back-house staff can hold menu-tasting sessions.
“There’s a nice big collaborative space to do that,” said Equal Parts chief marketing officer Justin Monaco-Barnes, who has spearheaded the design
for the new space.
Renovations are scheduled to begin May 1.
Equal Parts, which has Jerrett Young — formerly of Oliver & Bonacini Hospitality in Toronto — as its co-founder and CEO, hopes to be in the space by the beginning of July.
The hospitality company’s future also includes other big moves, like plans for an Italian restaurant scheduled to open its doors in the spring of 2019.
The new spot, which will also include a private wine club in the basement, will be located in the Lister Block expansion to fill in the “missing tooth” on King William, said Cassis.
Once the restaurant, which has been dubbed “The Italian” for now, comes on board, and Equal Parts hires 10 more back-office staff ranging from human resources to finance, they will have grown to around 300 employees, he said.
“I can’t tell you the responsibility that comes with that,” Cassis said, noting staff are the “soul of what we do.”
“Every move that we make impacts those people.”
Looking ahead, Cassis said they’ve also been working on a hospitality venture south of the border, as well as on a couple of local collaborations, including a distillery concept downtown and a “funky” new food and beverage hall at the John C. Munro Hamilton
International Airport.
He also has his eye on building a small, boutique hotel.
In recent months, Equal Parts sold Dundurn Market, a prepared food market and café, because it no longer fit with their vision, said Cassis.
“We’ve decided to go big or go home for our restaurants,” he said.