Bigger and Better
Bloom Bar + Lounge Opens in Downtown North Core
Story and photos by Sidney Ulakovic
If you’ve walked the downtown strip on Red River Road at all in the past couple of weeks, you would have certainly noticed the newly refurbished exterior of the King’s Block building thanks to the freshly exposed original facade and sophisticated black paint with gold accents. You probably also noticed that brand-new sign on the right side of the building for Bloom Bar + Lounge, now open and ready to party.
“The space is phenomenal,” says general manager Scott Thomas, who brings a wealth of nightclub management experience from southern Ontario, including a long stint at The Docks Nightclub (now Rebel) located near Toronto’s waterfront with a massive 3,700-person capacity. Bloom’s new interior ties in the modern elements of the building’s facade and maximizes the square footage with an open concept layout that makes the perfect dance floor for late-night fun.
Thomas explains that Bloom remains under the same ownership of Justin Boyko and Scott Bevilacqua (who were previously running the bar as Atmos) and that the pair brought him on as they worked towards maximizing the potential of the space. Those who are missing the live shows at Atmos can rest assured, however, as Thomas explains he intends to maintain the bar’s reputation as an entertainment venue.
“What I want to do is use some of my channels from southern Ontario and a lot of my experiences down there to bring some of that up here,” Thomas says. “Bring bands that don’t normally stop in Thunder Bay, bring DJs that don’t normally come.” Aside from hosting musical entertainment, Thomas says that people can also expect regular theme nights and unexpected surprises as the night progresses (think performances right on the dance floor).
“I think what we complement well is the revitalization,” Thomas says of the recently refinished streetscape in the Waterfront District. “I believe Thunder Bay is evolving and becoming incredibly diverse.” Thomas says that when they soft launched at the beginning of September, Bloom was very positively received by a wider demographic, as a curious dinner crowd wandered in to sip on a digestif when the bar opened at 8 pm and a younger crowd piled onto the dance floor as it got later.
Currently, Bloom Bar + Lounge is open Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm and stops serving drinks at 2 am. Thomas says they eventually plan to be open during the week and incorporate more food options as well as a curated cocktail menu. “I think this only gets bigger and better.”
To stay up to date with what’s happening at Bloom Bar + Lounge, follow them on Instagram @bloombarlounge.