A massive country-western bar is coming to the Esplanade

This ain’t the Hnatiw family’s first rodeo, but their latest project does happen to look a little like one. Following Eloise and Bar Cart, their restaurant and cocktail lounge next door to the family’s long-running red-sauce landmark, the Old Spaghetti Factory, brothers Graham and Dan Hnatiw are going country. Dolly’s, set to open in late June, will bring live music, line dancing, pizza and plenty of room for boot-scooting to the same street as its very different sister spots, with space for 700 inside and up to 1,000 when the patio is in play.

Related: The Old Spaghetti Factory’s new sister spot is nothing like the kitschy red-sauce restaurant

A country bar may be new terrain for the Hnatiws, but they see it as filling a gap in the city’s nightlife scene. “I feel that a good country bar is what’s been missing in Toronto,” says Dan. “A lot of people outside of the GTA do similar things, but it’s not represented well here.” Country music, meanwhile, has pushed far beyond its old twang-and-pickup-trucks stereotype in recent years, bleeding into mainstream pop and rock. “It’s a growing genre of music, and it keeps expanding,” says Graham.

The idea is to capture the country music scene as it sounds and feels now rather than to channel an old-school honky-tonk. There will be line dancing on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday nights, with Wednesdays geared toward instruction and weekends offering a quick lesson before opening up the floor to the pros.

And the room won’t be a yeehaw theme park. “We’re going for a more grown-up vibe,” says Graham. “It’s not like whiskey barrels and horseshoes on the walls.” There will, however, be one specific equine cameo: an extra horse from the Old Spaghetti Factory’s famous carousel will be displayed near the entrance. The bar’s name, meanwhile, honours Dolly Parton. “We want to make a fun place—and Dolly is that perfect persona,” says Graham.

Food-wise, pizza will be a major focus, with whole pies served throughout the evening as well as a late-night slice counter. The team isn’t revealing the full culinary program or chef yet, but Graham says a sixth-generation Italian baker is helping develop the dough recipe. Beyond that, the menu will feature other casual comfort food that can fuel a night of Texas two-stepping.

Related: A new club with a no-cameras policy is opening downtown

Behind the bar, Gordon Hannah, formerly of Civil Works, is developing a drinks program built for volume, with high-quality batched cocktails designed to keep lines moving. “It’s built for speed,” says Hannah. “But if you want to have a banger custom cocktail, our staff will be able to do that too.”

The cocktail lineup will rotate seasonally, anchored by classics like margaritas. Dolly’s will also have options for the non-drinking crowd, including custom non-alcoholic cocktails and zero-proof beer.

Live music will be central to the programming, powered by a high-quality sound system.“Fun is the name of our game,” says Dan. “Our goal is to create the best and biggest country bar in Toronto.”