Makeway, a women’s sneaker store in the city’s Queen West neighbourhood
While Toronto certainly has its share of unique venues—think: a historic Gothic-style castle or a luxurious hockey museum—planners here have also been known to host gatherings in offbeat places not typically associated with events. Take inspiration from these unexpected venues.
1. Book a retail takeover
Toronto is home to more than 25,000 retail stores across the city that range from clothing and furniture to beauty, home decor and beyond. The team at Highbell Hospitality Group recently hosted a couple of dinners inside Makeway, a women’s sneaker store in the city’s Queen West neighbourhood. “In the past, [the client] had done fancy dinners in traditional restaurant settings,” says Trevor Lui, Highbell’s president and CEO. “[They were] looking for a different experience to celebrate their employees.” If this isn’t “different,” then we don’t know what is.
Video by: Highbell Hospitality Group
2. Reimagine the salon after hours
Hair salons or spas—often intimate, design-forward spaces—can also work surprisingly well for small events. The team at Eco-Friendly Events, a Toronto-based event-planning company, recently collaborated with Untitled by Flaunt Boutique, an eco-conscious salon on Queen Street East in Leslieville, on a photography exhibit and community panel exploring what it means to care for the land we now call Canada. The salon’s intimate setting helped foster the kind of thoughtful conversation and connection that larger venues often struggle to create.
Untitled by Flaunt Boutique, an eco-conscious salon on Queen Street East in Leslieville
3. Host inside a neighbourhood café
Boutique coffee shops can also make for surprisingly versatile event venues. Spots like Dark Horse Espresso Bar, Now and Later and Propeller Coffee Co. offer warm, design-forward settings that feel more like a neighbourhood living room than a traditional event space. Many of these cafés already hold licences to serve or sell wine and beer to go, making it easy to incorporate alcohol into private functions without needing extensive external bar setups.
Propeller Coffee, Wade Ave. roastery location
4. Transform a fitness studio
Fitness spaces aren’t just for workouts—they can also double as lively event venues. The team at Highbell Hospitality Group has partnered with Sweat and Tonic, a popular fitness studio with locations near Sankofa Square and in the Well, to host holiday parties and brand activations. Events there have included group fitness classes followed by curated food and drinks, creating an experience that blends movement with socializing. It’s a refreshing alternative to a traditional cocktail reception—and a chance for guests to break a sweat before breaking bread together.
Video by: Highbell Hospitality Group
5. Start with a blank slate
Vacant and underused spaces are increasingly being transformed into unexpected backdrops for events, giving new life to locations that would otherwise sit empty. Case in point: a former Hudson’s Bay store was recently turned into an event space for the premiere of Hate the Player, a comedy series about Canadian Olympic sprinter Ben Johnson. The event, catered by Toben and planned by Three Design for Paramount+ Canada, transformed the once-familiar department store into a running track and added other familiar design elements from the show.
Hate the Player premiere | Photo by: George Pimentel
6. Host in a transit station that moves you
Transit infrastructure can also become an unexpectedly striking event backdrop, especially in a city like Toronto, where the subway system is part of our cultural identity. Union Station has played host to events that range from curated art installations to live music programming, and the abandoned Lower Bay Station has been home to fashion shows and dance parties. These environments offer a distinctly urban energy and a very Toronto vibe that’s hard to replicate.
