Gem of an idea Outdoor patio serves up benefits for Exchange District businesses By: Ben Sigurdson Posted: 7:00 PM CDT Monday, Aug. 17, 2020

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 16/08/2020 (1592 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The newest jewel in the Exchange District offers visitors the chance to grab a beer and a bite — with a twist — in a picturesque outdoor space.

Bijou Patio joins spots such as the Beer Can on Main Street, Cargo Bar at Assiniboine Park and The Common at The Forks as a destination for folks looking to get out and grab a pint (or other beverage) in a safe, physically distanced space.

Bijou’s bar is open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. every day except Sundays, and the public space, which has seating for 120 over a number of well-distanced picnic tables, is both kid- and pet-friendly.

Located in Bijou Park, just east of the Cube stage in Old Market Square, in front of Red River College’s Paterson GlobalFoods Institute, the space has been used in previous years by the Winnipeg Fringe Festival and Winnipeg International Jazz Festival. Two years ago, the Exchange District BIZ began its own programming featuring movies and concerts, with a special events licence allowing drinks to be served.

And while the idea of a new outdoor patio in the Exchange had been in the works for months, it was the success of spots like the Beer Can that helped get the ball rolling a little quicker on Bijou, which opened earlier in August. In the space of a couple of weeks, the Exchange District BIZ was able to pull everything together, with some help from the city in navigating the red tape.

“They understand businesses are suffering, and they appreciate the Exchange District,” says BIZ executive director David Pensato. “The city takes a lot of flak, and I’ve given them flak at times, but with this project they’ve been great — they’ve really helped us out.”

Bijou Patio’s bar features local beer on tap from Exchange breweries Nonsuch Brewing Co. and Little Brown Jug, as well as cans from a handful of other locals. It also features cider, wine and non-alcoholic beverages, and is working with local distillery Patent 5 on potential cocktail options.

And while there’s no food made on-site, one of the Bijou Patio’s unique selling features is the ability for visitors to order from Exchange District restaurants using their phones. Each numbered table features a QR code that, once scanned, brings up a list of participating eateries. Click on the restaurant, place your order and pay, provide your table number, and a food runner from Bijou will get your food and bring it to your table.

“One of the things we decided at the BIZ was that whatever we did, we had to have the restaurants involved,” Pensato says. “We could run a beer garden and make some money and draw people into the area, but we’re always looking to do something a little bit more, something that can be directly beneficial to the businesses.”

“The city takes a lot of flak, and I’ve given them flak at times, but with this project they’ve been great – they’ve really helped us out.” – BIZ executive director David Pensato

Pensato enlisted the help of Mike Del Buono from Exchange District eatery King + Bannatyne to help quarterback the logistics of getting Bijou Patio and its food-ordering system up and running.

“Mike really stepped up and took the lead in terms of figuring out the business plan and how to make it work,” Pensato says.

King + Bannatyne was one of the first restaurants to get on board, along with Shawarma Khan, the King’s Head, Bodegoes and Peasant Cookery; Clementine has since been added to the list, with more area eateries slated to join soon.

“A lot of places wanted to be a part of it, but didn’t understand the concept entirely,” Del Buono says. “I took on the ordering system — it made sense in my mind. The goal was to get a good number of restaurants on to start, and then we could show people how it works.”

For Del Buono, the change in foot traffic in the Exchange District since the COVID-19 pandemic took hold earlier this year has had a significant impact on his restaurant. “King + Bannatyne is 90 per cent lunch traffic; we built a business knowing we’d be busy Monday to Friday from 12 to 1:30. Now people who do go to their offices are going to work on days that we don’t know, and at times that we don’t know.”

That slowdown in foot traffic in the Exchange District means Bijou isn’t so much a competitor to area eateries as it is a benefit.

“There’s a mentality that a rising tide lifts all boats,” Del Buono says. “With the jazz and fringe festivals, you see a bunch of food trucks roll in, but we’re still busier because of those events. The idea (with Bijou) is to get more people down here, and if those people are checking out your menu using this QR code, it’s a chance to get in front of new customers.”

The food-ordering system is just one way Bijou Patio differentiates itself from similar outdoor spaces. “There’s people just walking through because it’s a public space… I wouldn’t change that for a second,” Pensato says. “The other night I overheard someone say it felt like Europe. The architecture helps, the physical space helps.”

“You hear all the time there’s no Red Mile-type area in Winnipeg,” adds Del Buono, referencing the popular strip of bars and restaurants in Calgary. “The Exchange is the best version of that idea that we have to offer — it’s not one street, but we have more patios around here than anywhere in the city, and the highest quality restaurants concentrated in this really cool area.”

Bijou Patio currently features playlists curated by local artists; the Exchange District BIZ is working with local festivals on bringing live programming to the space in the future.

The plan is for Bijou to be open as late in the year as the weather will allow. “If we can figure out a heating option that doesn’t break the bank, I’d love for us to go to late October,” Pensato says.

ben.sigurdson@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @bensigurdson

Ben Sigurdson
Literary editor, drinks writer

Ben Sigurdson edits the Free Press books section, and also writes about wine, beer and spirits.

   Read full biography