Bar adds character to the nightlife in Kensington Market
Partnership with Torito Bar gave writer a chance to reinvent less-inviting evening scene
You may have heard there’s a connection between certain writers and hanging out in bars. You know, kind of a Hemingway thing. Consider Shaughnessy BishopStall part of that general category. “I’ve spent much of my life in bars,” says the author and University of Toronto continuing education writing instructor. Now, the guy owns one. The Lowdown, on Augusta Ave. just south of College St., is actually low down (“I love the triple entendre,” quips Bishop-Stall), taking up the space underneath Torito Tapas Bar.
The room, which connects directly to Torito, has been used on and off by the bar upstairs, but mainly sat barely used for the past few years.
Bishop-Stall, who lives nearby, managed a bar on College a few years ago, so he has experience in the business.
Late last fall, Torito owner Veronica Laudes, who knows Bishop-Stall well as he’s a frequent patron, asked if he’d be interested in converting the basement space into a late-night watering hole.
She clearly knew this guy well: BishopStall has lived in the neighbourhood for years, and thinks it’s got a lot going on by day. But at night, the character of the market changes, and it’s less inviting.
“Here I see the opportunity to get a bunch of stuff going on in the ’hood,” he says of the new bar. He also admits: “I have a problem saying no to things.”
He jests. There’s business reasoning at work here, too. With two honking condo spaces under construction just steps away on College St., there’s going to be an influx of new locals who will want things to do at night.
So Bishop-Stall and Laudes put together something of a partnership to get the Lowdown up and running. Since the space was already decorated and the bar was good to go, all it needed was a few small touches.
Bishop-Stall’s girlfriend made a sign, and bought an arrow that lights up to direct patrons down the steps.
Torito supplied staff, in the way of Andrew DiBattista, to run the bar. (The place only opens at 8 p.m. and runs from Wednesdays to Sundays.) The upstairs kitchen does the main prep on the bar’s small snack menu and plates are put together behind the bar.
Bishop-Stall, meanwhile, shows up most evenings to act as host, and does all the bookings. He’s already put together an open-mic music night, a comedy night and a games night aimed at travellers staying in nearby hostels (there are actually two close by) on Sundays. When we stopped by, a flamenco dance class was set to take over the space in the late afternoon.
Along with his role as local maestro, this writer still plans on staying a writer. In fact, Bishop-Stall is working on a book for spring 2017 on a most-relevant subject: the hangover. Research materials will be right at hand.