Canada's leading restaurant and events company to assume operation of historic event space in downtown Toronto
TORONTO, Jan. 13, 2015 /CNW/ - Canadian restaurant, catering and event company, Oliver & Bonacini (O&B) today announced the expansion of its events portfolio to include the iconic and grand scale Toronto venue, The Carlu.
Originally opened in 1930 as "Eaton's Seventh Floor," The Carlu was designed by French architect Jacques Carlu. In 2003, the space at 444 Yonge St. in College Park was reopened as "The Carlu" event venue after an extensive restoration, led by Jeffry Roick and Mark Robert. Now recognized as one of Toronto's best examples of Art Moderne architecture, The Carlu has been designated as a National Historic Site of Canada, and has played host to royalty on several occasions, as the preferred space for high profile social fetes, conventions, and corporate celebrations.
"The Carlu has long been considered the gem of Toronto's event scene, with a sterling reputation as one of Canada's premier event destinations. With O&B's extensive portfolio of venues, and their consistency and excellence of cuisine and service, The Carlu was a natural fit. We are confident that they can lead the venue to even greater heights," says Jeffry Roick, Managing Director, The Carlu.
In recent years, O&B's growth in the event sector has included the historic Arcadian event complex at Hudson's Bay Queen St., Toronto; Malaparte at the TIFF Bell Lightbox, Toronto; the Toronto Region Board of Trade; Windermere House, Muskoka; Westin Trillium House, Collingwood; and most recently, Trump Toronto. O&B is also actively working on newly constructed event spaces in Calgary and Montreal that will be introduced over the next 18 months. A key goal of the company is to develop an extensive "one-stop" portfolio of top-level event spaces to accommodate every client need, from social and wedding requirements, to full-service corporate conferences and events.
"We're very excited to be managing this magnificent venue and couldn't be happier to be bringing our passion for food and service to The Carlu's distinctive setting of elegance and grandeur," says Andrew Oliver, President of Oliver & Bonacini Restaurants. "We have great respect for what's been accomplished at The Carlu. Working with The Carlu events team, we look forward to continuing the legacy of excellence that has been upheld throughout the years."
The official transition of The Carlu management to O&B will take place on March 2, 2015. All existing catering and venue contracts at the venue will remain in place and be honoured, with clients continuing to work directly with their Carlu event specialist to coordinate all logistics. Effective immediately, clients will also have the opportunity to book O&B as their caterer for all future events.
For more information please visit:
Website: OliverBonacini
Twitter: @OliverBonacini
Facebook: OliverBonaciniRestaurants
Instagram: @OliverBonacini
About Oliver & Bonacini Restaurants, Events and Catering
Oliver & Bonacini (O&B) is recognized as one of Canada's leading fine dining restaurant, events and catering companies, operating 12 unique and innovative restaurants in Ontario. Operations include à la carte dining, quick service dining, catering and special events. Restaurants include America, Auberge du Pommier, Bannock, Biff's Bistro, Canoe, Canteen, Jump, Luma, and Oliver & Bonacini Café Grill (Toronto, North York, Blue Mountain, Oakville). Operations are supported by an in-house bakery and chocolate/confections shop, O&B Artisan. The company's private dining and events division, Oliver & Bonacini Events and Catering, manages a number of large-scale event facilities, including Arcadian, Toronto Region Board of Trade, Malaparte at TIFF Bell Lightbox, Windermere House on Lake Rosseau, Muskoka, and the Trump International Hotel & Tower Toronto (in collaboration with INK Entertainment).
In 2011, Oliver & Bonacini partnered with Hudson's Bay Company (HBC), completing their first project in spring 2012 at Hudson's Bay Queen Street store, Toronto. They are currently in development with a second grand-scale project slated to open in late 2014 at Hudson's Bay Calgary Downtown.
In 2013, O&B was named a preferred catering provider to the Royal Ontario Museum, Design Exchange, The Round House at Steam Whistle Brewing and all INK Entertainment event venues, in addition to launching its own direct-to-venue catering service, O&B Caters.
Oliver & Bonacini credits its success to the development of a strong company culture, where excellence of food quality and service are valued above all else.
About The Carlu
The Carlu is an historic event space in Toronto. Known for many years as the "Eaton's Seventh Floor", The Carlu is one of Toronto's best examples of Art Moderne architecture. In 1930, the Eaton's department store chain opened "Eaton's College Street", an imposing Art Deco store at the intersection of Yonge Street and College Street. The matriarch of the Eaton family, Lady Flora McCrea Eaton, retained the noted French architect Jacques Carlu to design the seventh floor of the edifice. Between 1931–1965, the venue was home to the Eaton Operatic Society, and played host to major performers of the day, including Billie Holiday, Duke Ellington, and Frank Sinatra. In 2003, the seventh floor was reopened after an extensive restoration. The raked floors were removed from the auditorium to return the space's original movable seating. Other modifications had to be made to the auditorium so that modern acoustical equipment could be used. Even the original Lalique fountain, which had long been believed lost, was restored to its place at the centre of the Round Room. The venue's new name was chosen to honour the architect that had originally designed the space. Since its re-opening, The Carlu has hosted numerous high-profile events, including concerts, galas, weddings and fashion shows.
SOURCE Oliver & Bonacini Restaurants
Image with caption: "Round Room at The Carlu (Credit: Krista MacKinnon Photography) (CNW Group/Oliver & Bonacini Restaurants)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20150113_C8453_PHOTO_EN_10129.jpg
Image with caption: "Oliver & Bonacini Events and Catering (oliverbonacinievents.com) (CNW Group/Oliver & Bonacini Restaurants)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20150113_C8453_PHOTO_EN_10130.jpg
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