Construction of the Simmons building is underway and we could not be more excited! We’ve partnered with two highly regarded Calgary businesses, both of which share our passion for quality of product and service.
Charbar is a new restaurant from the creators of the nationally acclaimed Charcut restaurant. John Jackson and Connie DeSousa have over a decade of top chef experience in Canada as well as London, Paris, Italy, San Francisco and New York. Connie was awarded 3rd place in the inaugural Top Chef Canada two years ago, and vacay.ca rated her top female chef in Canada last year.
Sidewalk Citizen is Calgary’s finest artisanal bakery and is owned by Aviv Fried. Sidewalk offers world-class sourdough bread and pastries. The recent addition of a superb Mediterranean Deli is a tribute to Aviv’s Israeli heritage.
The downtown neighborhood of East Village is poised to become a hub of both arts and commerce in Calgary. It will be the future home to some of Calgary’s most spectacular architecture – including the new Central Public Library and National Music Centre. 1,400 condominiums are planned as a part of the multi-billion dollar revitalization in the area surrounding Simmons. Many are currently under construction.
As one of the last remaining heritage buildings in Calgary, the 1912 beauty is the heart of the up and coming community. Located on the renewed Bow River “River Walk”, Simmons character and beauty are outstanding.
Our collective intent for Simmons is to create a distinct, food-centric destination from morning until night. The design of the space creates synergy between each of the three businesses, while maintaining a strong identity of each. For us, Simmons will be our flagship location. Upon entering the building, customers will be flanked by our cutting-edge concept café on the left and open concept roasterie to the right.
The second floor will host our head office, as well as our training facility and cupping lab. The new roasting space is designed for form and function. It will handle a roasting capacity three times our current space and will be facilitated by a custom-reconditioned 45 kg vintage roasting machine. The training facility will have all the latest equipment, elevating the experience for our wholesale and in-house training programs.
The concept café will be staffed by our senior baristas to ensure a stellar coffee and customer experience. With each new café we build, we gently nudge our customers out of their comfort zone to redefine their coffee experience. The new service model in this concept café will evolve that experience further, setting a new bar for others to emulate.
