Growing pains are a natural part in the life of any business. When a business is ready to expand, that takes time, effort, and money. This was true for Lake of the Woods Brewery in Kenora, Ontario. Having long since outgrown their original facility, a retired fire hall built in 1912, they were in the process of moving operations to a much larger facility. Coupled with a new location, owners, Taras and Rob, wanted to create a outdoor market and tourist destination. Thus, Brewer’s Village was born. Given that the two had taken on such a large project, they needed some help, that’s where Bryan Baeumler came in.
A Blank Canvas
Expanding a business is a nerve-wracking endeavor, but one of the upsides is you often get to start with a blank canvas. In a newer and larger space, you have the opportunity to let your imagination run wild. That was the case for Taras and Rob, who decided to create the infrastructure for their outdoor bars out of shipping containers. Alongside the outdoor venue, they utilized stunning, unique ice fishing huts, designed by local architecture students, to serve as vendor booths. All of these ideas and potential were only possible with the right space and opportunity. Now, it was up to Bryan to help maximize their potential.
A Community Space
The main objective when creating a business model is to generate income, but that doesn’t have to be its only objective. Given that the Lake of the Woods Brewing Company had done well for themselves, they wanted this new space to benefit the town of Kenora as a whole. One creative way they did this was with ice fishing huts, but not just any ice fishing huts. The duo, with the help of local architecture students, placed these unique and beautiful huts of the site to act as vendor booths. Not only are they beautiful but they’ll help local artisans to grow their own businesses while drawing in more attendees to Brewer’s Village.
Blood Sweat and Beers
Once Bryan left, Taras and Rob had an incredible amount of work, but they knew what needed to be done. They, and many others, rolled up their sleeves and got to work. The result was a beautiful but relaxed space for Kenorans to gather and connect in. Complete with a bar, coffee bar, outdoor dining, and a concert stage, Brewer’s Village was transformed into a local hotspot. Now locals and tourists alike can come and enjoy the fabulous space, and all it took was some blood, sweat, and beers.
