Nearly 30 new businesses have opened this year
by Trevor Greenway
One of Canada’s top chefs is now creating new dishes in the Glebe. Top Chef Canada winner Rene Rodriguez is the head chef at the Glebe’s newest Italian eatery, Orto Trattoria, and he says the food at the Second Avenue restaurant is “very crafted.”
“The restaurant is very elegant, but once you have the food, you realize that it’s an amazing setting with food that is very good,” he says. “That’s what we want; we don’t want to be pretentious at all.”
It’s dishes like the Pappardelle Ai Funghi, Spaghetti Cacio E Pepe and the Ahi Tuna Piccata that bring that authentic southern Italian flare to the Glebe and at a price point that’s affordable. And it’s already hitting the spot. “People are loving it,” adds Rodriquez.
If you stroll through the Glebe, you’ll notice that nearly 30 new businesses have opened their doors in the Glebe in 2017 and they are ventures that truly help set the neighbourhood apart. Thanjai Restaurant is a Montreal-born Indian restaurant offering South Indian fare, while the new Mad Radish, brainchild of DAVIDsTEA founder David Segal, offers gourmet salads for lunch and dinner. Layers Hair Design adds even more volume to the already stellar lineup of hair salons in the Glebe, while Melli Pro Organics Cosmetics offers a full line of makeup and body products, all of which are made right here in Ottawa. Melli has the world’s largest beauty collection made only with natural and organic ingredients. Don’t have time to wait at the doctor’s office for a prescription? Stop by Whole Health Pharmacy in the Glebe and take advantage of Maple Virtual Care that allows patients to consult with doctors in the pharmacy’s private consultation room.
Kids Up Front is a new charity that has popped up in the Glebe to collect unused event tickets and redistribute them to less fortunate families who would otherwise not be able to attend such events. Other Glebe additions include McDonald’s, Pizza Hut, LRO Staffing, The Reps Brokerage, Phi Beauty Bar, Alicja Confections and the Purple Urchin Soap Company.
For Purple Urchin owner Rebecca Pereira, opening her soap shop in the Glebe was a no-brainer. Aside from its central location in the heart of Ottawa, it’s really all about the people, and the fellow ma-and-pa shops that make the Glebe such a one-of-a-kind shopping district.
“The Glebe has so many great attributes,” she says. “Although located in the middle of a big city, it has a small-town mainstreet kind of appeal with its many unique and colourful shops; it feels very alive. Residents can get almost anything they need without having to leave the neighbourhood.”
The Bank Street soap shop has only been open for a few weeks and already they are feeling the love from both residents and fellow businesses along the traditional mainstreet. Pereira says her locally made natural bath and body products fit nicely into the fabric of the Glebe.
“It’s always very exciting to see new faces and businesses in the neighbourhood,” says Glebe BIA executive director Andrew Peck. “Whether it’s a new restaurant, boutique shop, beauty salon or just a place for people to gather, all of these new ventures add to the Glebe experience. The neighbourhood is a one-stop shop for food lovers and shopaholics, and the ultimate playground for people looking for entertainment.”
And things will only get more exciting with several new businesses slated to open in the coming weeks including Little Victories Coffee, Boston Pizza and Yummy Pies. The Stag Shop Adult Fun Store is a family-run business that first opened its doors in 1972 in Waterloo, Ontario. Owners of the shop are aware of the family-oriented community they are in and are committed to maintaining a “tasteful” presence wherever they are. That same consideration will be given to the Glebe.
There’s a lot to explore in the Glebe and we cannot wait to see what 2018 brings.
Trevor Greenway is responsible for communications at the Glebe BIA (Business Improvement Area).
