Toronto’s beer experts are expanding to the Junction Triangle
The brains behind Bar Volo are moving west later this fall
Raise a pint, west-end beer drinkers: Bottega Volo, the bottle shop slash bar from the Bar Volo team, is coming to the Junction Triangle.
The second location of Bottega Volo (the first is in Little Italy, steps away from Birreria Volo) will take over an empty space in the Clock Factory Building, at Dupont and Campbell, behind the just-shuttered Pizzeria Defina later this fall.
Related: A gastropub and brewery has opened at a downtown address plagued by turnover
As with the original location, it will wear many delicious hats: an Italian café with all-day drinks and snacks (like sandwiches and Italian “lunchables”), a pantry for imported Italian goodies, and a bottle shop for beer (some brewed in-house by Volo, some from other producers) and wine. It will also house the brand’s ever-growing collection of imported kegs.
“Bottega was initially a Covid pivot to survive—we basically deconstructed our entire menu and sold it to go,” says co-owner Julian Morana. “That spiralled into us sourcing retail items and cool products no one else has. It’s very surreal that we’re now opening another location.”
The Morana family—brothers Julian and Tomas and father Ralph—has ramped up their import arm since Covid. Via Keep6 Imports, they bring in weird, wild and wonderful wines from all over the world. They also stock cool specialty items like Lapos non-alcoholic negronis, Siesta and Co.‘s Galician tinned fish, and other fancy conservas.
“We were looking for warehouse space downtown to facilitate all these side projects,” says Morana. “Campbell came around, and we saw the opportunity to flip it into our new headquarters for beer, retail, hospitality and events.”
Related: This new sports bar serves beer, pizza and an outrageously good happy hour
The idea is for the new location to be a neighbourhood hangout where locals have a coffee, switch to wine, stay and snack awhile, then pick up provisions for dinner. “Tomas and I both have toddlers now, so we’re more into that daytime café kind of vibe,” says Morana. “And Dupont is having a moment now—there’s Dotty’s and Osler Records. A lot of restaurateurs are moving here. It’s a great neighbourhood to be part of.”
The Junction Triangle location will also house the Cask Days beer festival, which will celebrate its 20th anniversary this October. “Campbell has the capacity, and we convinced our landlord to let us use the parking lot,” says Morana. Year-round, the space will also host tastings, brewery showcases, educational events and festivals.
Kate Dingwall is a writer, author and photographer covering spirits, business, culture, fashion and travel. By night, she’s a working sommelier. She has worked with Flare, Food & Wine, Wine Enthusiast, Maxim, People, Southern Living, Rolling Stone, Eater, Elle, Toronto Life and the Toronto Star, among other publications. She frequently appears on both CTV and NPR, has co-authored a book on gin, judges Food & Wine’s Tastemakers and has strong opinions on the city’s best martini.
