By Yose Cormier
The popular eatery on Richmond Road is dropping its dinner menu in favour of all-out Christmas, turning into Miracle at the Savoy for 37 consecutive days.
The Miracle Pop-up is a franchise that started in 2014 in New York. It has been done in Toronto, Calgary and Montreal and can now be found in 100 venues across the world. This will be the first appearance in Ottawa.
The concept is simple: go all out with lights, ribbons and vintage Christmas decorations, offer a festive menu of signature cocktails and blare holiday music all evening long.
Jack Bisson, owner of the Savoy and other venues across Ottawa, heard about Miracle last year, but wasn’t ready to proceed. This year, he’s all in, even though he admits he’s not sure what to expect.
“Ottawa can be a finicky market. And we’re going to follow the Miracle recipe and not offer food for dinner. We’ll be the regular Savoy for breakfast and lunch, but at 2 p.m. every day, we’ll turn into Miracle,” said Bisson. “It’s really about the atmosphere, the signature Christmas cocktails and general festive atmosphere.”
“We really think this will be good not just for us but for all businesses in the neighbourhood,” said Bisson, who’s venue can accommodate 105 people.
In anticipation of lineups, Bisson has signed up for the WaitWhile app. This means that instead of lining up outside until there’s space inside, people can drop by the Savoy, sign up and then check out the rest of the neighbourhood stores, pubs and eateries. Once there’s space, they’ll get a text message and will have 15 to 30 minutes to head over.
Music during the evenings will be provided by Majic 100, which approached Bisson when they heard about Miracle at the Savoy.
In addition, Bisson plans to donate $1 from every drink sold to the Salvation Army Toy Mountain.
A key date to keep in mind will be December 2, when all 100 Miracle locations around the world will host the largest coordinated Ugly Christmas Sweater party.