A half dozen stragglers from the brunch crowd were relaxing in Pressed café—a typical Saturday afternoon for the little venue. Owner Jeff Stewart poured himself a coffee and settled in at one of the tables.
“I’m trying to foster a space that feels like a second living room, but with more room to do fun things,” he said.
Stewart opened Pressed in 2011 and, after acquiring a liquor license, began using the space as a venue for live music. He’s one of many café and restaurant owners in Ottawa who have started integrating live music and performances into their business plans.
Pressed begins the week with spoken word events, with music performances taking up the better part of the weekend.
“We have had afternoon events. Afternoon jazz and open mics and occasionally a special afternoon event on either a Saturday or Sunday,” Stewart said. “But the vast majority of events are in the evening.”
Stewart said about 10 per cent of the people who come out to shows become regulars at the café.
Down the street on Bronson Avenue, Luneta Café & Bistro has opened its doors to similar performances. Owner Jason Ho said being a venue has helped him draw in business, estimating a 50 per cent increase in customers.
“People know Luneta already because of punk shows,” Ho said.
Jeff Hurter, affectionately known in the Ottawa music community as Ska Jeff, is the booking agent for Luneta Café & Bistro and has noticed the trend.
“People who have been coming out [to shows] have been coming in for lunch,” he said.
Luneta has been hosting about three shows a week with the most common genre being punk and hardcore.
Unlike Pressed Café, they do not have their own dedicated sound person. Herter said the reduced overhead costs mean bands charge less at the door and more people can come to see the show. For Ho it also means people spend more money at the bar.
Luneta’s success seems to be growing, with the café hosting bands such as Swearin’ from Brooklyn.
The night of the show, Herter never stopped running around, throwing around hellos while simultaneously dragging empties back behind the bar. Both Ho and Herter looked satisfied with the packed house of drunken pop-punk fans.
A bus ride away in Chinatown there are more cafés following this trend—namely Raw Sugar and The Daily Grind.
“Raw Sugar is a bit different,” local musician David Banoub said. “They tend to book quieter, indie folkier stuff. It is good for the room, it is small and cozy rather than a rock feeling.”
The Daily Grind on the other hand has brought out loud progressive techno. The restaurant has been booked for a monthly themed music event Partyy.
During one of these events, The Daily Grind became a tropical paradise filled with booming electronic music. Other nights the little café has been turned into a place for local hip hop and everything in between.
The trend of cafés incorporating stages isn’t limited to Centretown.
Tucked away in the Glebe is Irene’s, which has been hosting live music for more than 25 years.
Banoub has booked a show with B.A. Johnston at Irene’s. Over its 25-year history Irene’s has cultivated a consistent set of regular eaters, drinkers, and listeners.
“[The patrons] know folk and country standards but will still have interesting things to say about a rock band. They will stick around to see B.A. Johnston’s folk comedy cabaret,” Banoub said.
Hosting events encourages regulars to experiment with different types of music, with venues like Irene’s drawing crowds for acts the audience might not go to see at other locations, he said.
Whether they’re nestled in the Glebe or tucked into Chinatown, these venues have the common thread of community. They want to be more than a place to stop and grab a bite. They want to be your second living room, greasy basement, community centre, and dancefloor.
