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Grizzly Bar: A Canadian Response to Trade Tensions

Set to open next week in Toronto, Grizzly Bar aims to showcase its Canadian pride with a vibrant atmosphere that makes its allegiance clear in the ongoing trade disputes between Canada and the United States.

Decked out with maple leaves and animatronic bears, the bar offers a distinctive menu that includes Montreal smoked meat, Maritime calamari, and innovative takes on classic cocktails, such as Caesars garnished with ketchup chips served in mini paper boats. Payment options are equally Canadian-friendly, accepting cash, card, and the beloved Canadian Tire money.

Co-owner Jessica Langer Kapalka has ambitious plans for the entertainment aspect, featuring music from iconic Canadian bands like Blue Rodeo, Rush, and Loverboy. Guests can also participate in a unique “Hoser Olympics,” which includes playful challenges like the “loonie toss” and a “sorry-not-sorry” apology contest, highlighting the quintessentially Canadian spirit.

“It’s going to be wild how much stuff there is,” Langer Kapalka said, hinting at whimsical experiences such as a bar manager dressed in an inflatable grizzly bear costume and themed tents for a campfire-like atmosphere with s’mores.

Grizzly Bar’s concept is not just a creative venture; it is a direct reflection of how many Canadian restaurants are adapting to the increasing tariff strains that threaten food supply chains and dining budgets across North America. With U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration implementing tariffs on a wide array of products, Canadian eateries have pivoted by prioritizing local ingredients over American imports.

In response to these economic pressures, some establishments have revised their menus—replacing American classics like the Philly cheesesteak with Canadian favorites, while others are postponing their expansion plans southward. Jo-Ann McArthur, president of Nourish Food Marketing, emphasized that each restaurant must balance regional pride with customer preferences and operational realities in the face of rising costs.

“You don’t have to go all the way to changing your decor and changing your entire menu,” McArthur explained. “It’s about supporting your local producers where you can.”

For businesses like James McInnes’s vegan fast-food chain Odd Burger Corp., the stakes have become too high to ignore. Just weeks after announcing plans to launch 60 franchises in the U.S., McInnes halted the expansion, citing unpredictable economic conditions as a central concern. The shifting landscape of tariffs presented too much uncertainty for his Ontario-based operations.

“How do you formulate pricing for franchisees when you don’t know what many of the costs will be?” McInnes queried, highlighting the risk associated with U.S. dependencies.

Instead, Odd Burger is now focusing on strengthening its Canadian presence and looking to secure its supply chains within the country. “If there’s a 200 per cent tariff put on Coke, we don’t know what that will look like,” he said.

Meanwhile, at Kanoo Coffee in Guelph, Ontario, co-owner Steve Neville opted to shift the café’s offerings to focus exclusively on Canadian coffees after realizing the importance of local sourcing in light of the current trade tensions. The café now features brews from Canadian coffee roasters across the country, tapping into a sense of national pride.

“Being in this globalized world, we’ve kind of lost sight of some of those domestic priorities,” Neville noted, suggesting that the current climate has created an opportunity to refocus on supporting local businesses.

Grizzly Bar is likewise dedicated to its Canadian roots, successfully sourcing key menu items like poutine and bison burgers from local suppliers. “I was expecting it to be a lot more difficult to source the majority of our food items from Canada, but it hasn’t been that difficult at all,” Langer Kapalka remarked.

For the few ingredients they cannot procure locally, they have turned to alternative international sources. New Zealand elk and Mexican fruits and vegetables found their way on the menu, while their animatronic bears were sourced from the Philippines.

As the owners navigate their budget—up to $15,000 for the transformation of their themed establishment—much of the unique décor has been obtained from friends, showcasing a creative approach to local engagement.

The Grizzly Bar concept is set to replace a beach-themed pop-up that lasted about two months, proving that Canadian themes may have lasting power in a dining landscape marked by uncertainty. Kapalka humorously speculated that the bar could run until 2028, when the next U.S. presidential election takes place, but expressed hope that the need for such bold displays of Canadian identity would diminish sooner. “Hopefully, there’ll be a different regime at some stage there,” he concluded, looking forward to a day when the political climate is less contentious.

Source
globalnews.ca