Cabana Pool Bar is reopening for the summer and here's what's going to be different
Toronto's poolside club on Polson Pier has just announced it's transforming into a 50,000-square-foot restaurant.
Cabana Pool Bar is now Cabana Waterfront Patio: a 2,500-person restaurant patio opening this Thursday that will utilize the space once reserved for beach loungers and tipsy dancing.
With no end to the ban on Toronto nightclubs in the foreseeable future, the poolside bar's pivot hits just in time as the city enters Stage 2 of reopening.
Open from 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. on weekdays, and between 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on weekends, it'll include a menu by Oliver and Bonacini.
According to INK Entertainment owner Charles Khabouth, they've made "significant investments" to re-open as a restaurant.
"Between reconfiguring the space, procuring appropriate personal protective equipment, retraining staff, and using industry-leading sanitization, there was a great amount of work to be done to provide a safe and seamless experience with new measures in place," said Khabouth.
"It will be an interesting few months as we continue to adjust, but we are thrilled to have our employees back, to see the supply chain in action, and have our city’s economy restart.”
With Stage 2 around the corner, Toronto's restaurants, bars, and other food and drink establishments will be allowed to open for dine-in, but in outdoor areas only.
You'll be able to eat at Cabana Waterfront Patio by reservation-only, with a maximum of six guests per party.
INK says that the restaurant's new set up will see measures like strategically placed tables, PPE worn by all staff, disposable glassware and cutlery, touchless menus, separate entrances and exits, and cabanas separated by Plexiglass.
It's unclear exactly how Cabana Waterfront Patio will have its tables set up, but given the space (it'll be the largest outdoor patio open in the city) it shouldn't be too difficult to adhere to physical distancing rules.
And no word yet as to whether they'll be a DJ on deck while you eat your watermelon salad.
Cabana Waterfront Patio
