In response to the challenging times that we are experiencing together regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, we wanted to give props to some stellar local businesses who are stepping up to serve our great community.
Located at 195 Wellington Street in Bracebridge, Fresh Kuts Market & Grill first opened in 1991 as a butcher shop and with owner Clarence Boyes’ background as a chef, also added a restaurant four years later. Fresh Kutz only uses fresh ingredients and each of the soups, sauces and even the dressings are all made in-house.
Four years ago Fresh Kutz ventured into catering which has really taken off. They offer full-service catering packages for groups up to 200 people. Clarence told us that “the staff at Fresh Kutz is our strongest point. We employ four chefs who have a wide variety of culinary experience and the wait staff is as equally qualified!”
At the restaurant, Fresh Kutz is known for their fish & chips as well as their soups, seafood chowder, burgers and specialty sandwiches. They also offer daily and evening dinner specials along with a daily fresh catch.
This past Spring, Fresh Kutz kept safety in mind and closed their doors for ten weeks, unsure of what to expect. When they first re-opened they offered a limited menu for takeout-only, which the community responded to as they were keen to enjoy their Fresh Kutz favourites once again.
When Fresh Kutz was able to re-open for dine-in service, they reduced the number of tables in the restaurant as to accommodate proper social distancing and worked hard to train their staff on the necessary Covid protocols to ensure a safe, enjoyable experience for their patrons. Clarence told us “through hard work and dedication from our entire team, we are able to keep on serving our community.”
Looking ahead, Clarence tells us that Fresh Kutz is looking forward to when things return to normal and they are able to enjoy the energy and buzz from a busy summer and are looking forward to the weddings that have had to be delayed
We want to commend Clarence and the entire Fresh Kutz team for their dedication to our wonderful community and their willingness to go above and beyond. We know there are many people who are grateful for everything Fresh Kutz has done. Way to go and keep up the awesome work!
In response to the challenging times that we are experiencing together regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, we wanted to give props to some stellar local businesses who are stepping up to serve our great community.
Lake of Bays Brewing Co. opened their doors in 2010, starting out as a brewery in Baysville, Ontario. Since then, they’ve expanded their beer lineup to include everything from Light Lagers to Double IPA’S to Stout’s. In 2018, they ventured off into the world of restaurants and opened the Huntsville Brewhouse, known for their delicious locally sourced menu and in-house brews. After the success of the Brewhouse, Lake of Bays Brewing Co. wanted to introduce their wide array of beers and menu options to the beautiful town of Bracebridge, and that’s how the Bracebridge Barrelhouse came to be. Located at 295 Wellington Street, the Barrelhouse has quickly become a favourite among locals eager enough to venture into the beautiful new space.
The original plan for the Barrelhouse was to open the restaurant back in the Spring. However, when COVID-19 hit, that put a delay on their plans. But, their team worked extremely hard they were able to open their doors in mid-August.
Since then, they have put several measures in place to ensure everyone has a safe and enjoyable visit at both the Huntsville Brewhouse and Bracebridge Barrelhouse. You’ll be met by their lovely host who will ask you to sanitize your hands before being seated. Tables are spaced out 6ft apart, making sure guests are staying socially distant. All staff are required to wear their masks, and continually sanitize areas in the restaurant. For those who prefer, the Barrelhouse is taking limited reservations every day. They are also offering take-out, so you can still take home their delicious menu.
The Bracebridge Barrelhouse currently has a beer on tap called Paws of the North, where a dollar from every pint is donated to Paws of the North Rescue here in Muskoka! They also just launched their Toasty Toes pack this year, which features two mystery beers, and 1 of 4 socks in each pack. Lastly, they are constantly rotating their taps at the restaurants since they brew-in house, so there is always something new and exciting to try!
We think it is incredible what the Bracebridge Barrelhouse has been able to do in such a short period of time, especially through these challenging times! It is certainly a testament to their dedicated, hard-working team to have pulled this together and we are grateful to have this new, exciting restaurant destination right here in the heart of Muskoka. Keep up the amazing work!
Be sure to follow the Bracebridge Barrelhouse on Facebook & Instagram.
If you know a local business who deserves a shout out, send us a direct message with a photo and why they should be featured.
In response to the challenging times that we’re all experiencing together regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, we wanted to spread love and levity across the community.
We brainstormed various ways we could do this and one of the things we landed on was highlighting some of the incredible local businesses who are stepping up and modifying their services to continue to serve the community through these tough times. These are local businesses who have local champions who are doing what they can to be leaders through this unprecedented historic time.
“We know locals. We remember cottagers. We love to meet new visitors!”
Today we would like to give a special Muskoka Bear Wear Shout Out to our friends at Oliver’s Coffee. Locally owned & operated since 2003, Oliver’s Coffee roasts their own coffee and bakes their fresh goodies daily and boasts locations in Gravenhurst, Bracebridge (x3), Huntsville, Port Carling and Bala. They have become well known for their wide selection of signature blends and flavoured coffee. They also cater AND have a strong social and environmental conscious.
And while they have been closed during these tough times, they have re-opened their flagship location in Bracebridge (203 Manitoba Street) TODAY (April 27th) from 7:00 AM – 3:00 PM to deliver their delicious line of coffee and goodies to the community. They told us that they intend to test re-opening their various locations for one day at a time to see the response. So, be sure to follow Oliver’s Coffee on Facebook or visit their website to stay up to date for their next opening… and be sure to zip down to their Bracebridge location to get your caffeine fix before 3:00 PM today. They’ve recently installed some plexi-glass guards for the front counter, have upped their cleaning & sanitization practices and are eager to see your smiling faces again.
We wish Oliver’s all the success through these difficult times and look forward to seeing all of their physical locations re-opened soon!
Hunters Bay Radio (HBR) is a not-for-profit community radio station based in Muskoka. They offer a great variety of music, news, and community talk shows. You can listen within Muskoka or Almaguin Highlands at 88.7 FM, or anywhere via their FREE Hunters Bay Radio App, Alexa, or on-line at MuskokaRadio.com.
Through quarantine life, HBR has stepped up to deliver a series of virtual concerts that they have named QUARANTUNES. The series has been running every Thursday and Saturday night through April and will continue through May. Beyond the fact that the concert series has been providing a wonderful bit of escapism and entertainment for all of the viewers, but these have been paid gigs for the artists who are streaming from home while they have been unable to perform live because of venue closures.
We applaud HBR and their partner for the program – Lake of Bays Brewery – for providing these opportunities to local artists and for striving to deliver these great ‘live’ music experiences during these tough times.
For more information about the concert series, including the list of upcoming artists, please visit here: https://bit.ly/2WcDl6P. Be sure to tune in for the next performance, Thursday, April 30th at 7:00 PM to watch and listen to Matt Allen.
A gem for locals and cottagers alike, Main Street Delicatessen is located in the heart of downtown Bracebridge and has been serving up delicious, mouth-watering fare since 2013. With a wide variety of homemade soups, sandwiches, salads and several other amazing favourites, they also run a deli counter, offer gourmet pizzas and cater.
And while these tough times have affected us all, it certainly has not crushed their spirit as they continue to provide Take Out options and now also offer Local Delivery. They are working hard to keep the community strong, united and well fed and we would like to acknowledge their dedication to our community.
Be sure to check out their modified Take Out & Delivery menu on their Facebook Page and continue supporting this great local business as they adapt to the times.
