Having a tough time scoring lately? Maybe you’re just going to the wrong sports bar.
Lucky for you, the league has added an expansion team and it’s right in the heart of what you voted as your favorite bar-hopping area in the city. The Contender is a new 2,000-square foot sports bar just a buttonhook away from Ossington and Dundas.
And as its name would suggest, it’s looking to take home a ring.
“Ever since Hoops closed down at Queen and Tecumseth there has been a huge hole to fill in the area for a good, traditional sports bar. We’re hoping to fill that hole,” says Contender partner Kit Birchard.
And as any self-respecting ball player or businessperson knows, you always want to aim for the gaps.
One way to do that is to put 20 TVs plus a big-screen projector in your bar, offer two distinct sound zones so that patrons can dedicate their audio-visual experience to the big game of their choice, and cook up a stadium concession-inspired menu to play alongside your 12-tap draft roster.
While The Derby has a great cozy energy to it and The Dock Ellis is one of the best all-around bars you’ll find in DuWest, there is much to The Contender that makes a strong case for the All-Star ballot and a solid Rookie of the Year campaign.
To begin, the place seats 112. There’s enough room for you and all your teammates, including ample space at their long pitch of a bar that was actually fashioned out of an old bowling ball lane. The perimeter of the front room is lined with long comfortable benches. Beyond the TVs they offer the entertainment of bubble-hockey, shuffleboard, darts and foosball, and no matter what seats you land, you’re never in the nosebleeds.
“When we were laying this out, we wanted to ensure that each customer had a view of the game,” says Alex SenGupta, another member of the ownership team.
From minor-leaguers like Muskoka Detour, Lake of Bays and Top Shelf, all the way to big league staples like Heineken and Coors Banquet, they’ve got the beer situation under control. And they’re scoring points with their kitchen, too, offering crowd-pleasers like veal, chicken and eggplant parmesan sandwiches as well as concession classics like nachos, soft, salty giant pretzels and Nathan’s foot-long hot-dogs – all between $5 and $10.
They also offer $13 all-you-can-eat Sunday brunch ($5 for kids) that includes eggs, French toast, sausage, and hashbrowns with a side of NFL football.
And once they’re a few innings deep, they plan to mix in the curveball: Toronto’s first milkshake cocktails.
When you put together a team of players from organizations like The Lakeview, Get Well, Camp 4, Unlovable and Reposado, and you’re right at the 50-yard line of a booming night scene, you’re bound to win games.
But in this league, whether or not a Contender is championship material is up to the fans.
Better head to the stadium and check out a match or two…
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