After sharing countless good times with friends for the past several years on Mercer St in Toronto, Bruno Commodari, of Buonanotte is moving on and starting a new chapter further west in the burgeoning nightlife on Queen West.
After 3 and a half years at Buonanotte, what are some of your most cherished memories there?
– My cherished memories would have to be Our opening night. I was standing there thinking wow! It all came together. The week before I was standing in a construction zone not thinking we were going to be able to open and open for new years eve which was a few days later. Another great memory was our one year anniversary and celebrating with everyone.
Bruno and Cyrille B at Buonanotte
In case anyone hasnt heard yet, you have moved on from Buonanotte and are a new owner of Church Aperitivo Bar on Queen and Dovercourt, can you let us know how that opportunity came about for you?
Well Good friends of mine were the original owners of Church Aperitivo. Two of which are married to each other and had a baby not to long ago . They decided that although they love the business and Church, that they wanted to focus on their family life and leave the restaurant business. So one of my Best friends who remains a partner with me , brought up the situation and I thought it was a perfect fit and the right time for me.
Are you familiar with the Queen West neighbourhood and what if any are the different challenges you’ll face there vs the Mercer St area?
I am familiar with the Queen west Area. I know friends that have restaurants/bars in the area and I frequent them when I can. I think we will be catering to a different clientelle then Mercer st. On Mercer st, we had more of a business following on the weekdays for dinner. I think we bring a great product to the Queen West crowd .
Buonanotte Event
Are you planning any big renovations for Church, staff changes? Or are you just coming in as a silent owner? Will there be any official launch either way of your arrival? lol
Yes we are planning some exterior and some minor interior changes in the fall. I will be a hands on managing partner. We will be doing a launch party Friday June 10th to invite all our friends family and loyal contacts .
Your business involves constantly being on top of current trends and creating new ones and resonate with the mainstream demographic, how do you do it?
I think being around and being friends with many of the people that keep pushing the Toronto envelope when opening new venues in the city helps me keep my finger on the pulse of things. Also traveling a lot helps 😉
What is the core passion for you in doing this? What drives you?
Honestly my passion comes from constantly putting out a great product, great service and to see my patrons happy is what drives me everyday in this hectic business . They know they can always come see me and ill always be there sharing a drink with them and smiling with them.
What would you like your friends and patrons to know about your new venture Church Apertivo? How can they book a reservation or get on guestlist?
I would like everyone to know that Church will continue to serve great food, great service and be a venue that will have longevity in the ever changing queen west neighbourhood . Im excited for the future. People can book a reservation by calling the restaurant direct at 416.537.1090 , info@churchaperitivobar.com or they can contact me personally.
Church Aperitivo Bar
Thanks for your time Bruno Im sure the past few days have been hectic for you we appreciate you taking the time to sit down with us to give the city an update.
Church Aperitivo Bar