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| Will on the left and Ross on the right |
I had the pleasure of meeting both gentlemen in June of last year, when I first paid the pub a visit to do a review on this blog, and was happy to hear that both feel the love for craft beer. They were also able to share the story behind the name, which they've done again here in this short interview, something they get asked on a daily basis.
Meet Will and Ross!
How long have you operated your establishment
Just made two years on Jan 25th
How did you get into the hospitality industry?
Will: I started in the industry bussing dishes to help finance my trip to South East Asia and Australia after University. I tended some bar while I was overseas as well.
Ross: As wait staff at a few diners on Queen st
What is the best part of operating a pub?
Will: The people. Our regular clientele are great folks, and I enjoy providing a friendly environment where they can have a good time.
Ross: The great people that you meet and get to drink with.
What is the worst?
Will: Cleaning up
Ross: When the home team loses (ie: Canada World Juniors)
How do you go about selecting the beer for your establishment?
We tend to keep our taps local. We have an Opera Bob's Beer Club that meets once per month to share new brews. We get a lot of our ideas from there. We have also found a few at craft brew festivals.
Where did the name of your establishment come from?
Opera Bob is our friend Robert Pomokov's nick name…he is a part owner of the place, and yes he is an opera singer.
What has been the biggest change in the beer industry since you started your business?
Will: Tall tins have become very popular…and the HST.
If you could change one thing about the industry (pub/bar/restaurant), what would it be?
Will: I think that the government can be a little 'overprotective' sometimes.
Ross: For people to be a bit open minded with their beer selections...try something else on , just once
What do you get up to when you're not at your establishment?
Will: I really enjoy grilling…I have both a propane and a charcoal grill, and continue to grill regardless of weather. I also enjoy a good dinner out.
Ross: sports
If you're not drinking at your own bar, where do you head to for a beer?
Will: Depends on the neighbourhood I guess, but I usually head down the road to the Crooked Star.
Ross: Crooked star
Name the last beer you consumed?
Will: Mill Street Tankhouse
Ross: Beau's Lug Tread
Opera Bob's Public House
2 comments:
Interesting connection. My dad used to have the lesson before Pomakov's back in the day when he was going through his Russian Operatic Bass phase.
If it had been more than a phase, he would have grown an Ivan Rebroff style beard.
"For people to be a bit open minded with their beer selections...try something else on , just once."
I love to hear that, but I sometimes wish they would get a little more adventurous with their taps - less reliance on Mill St., for example.
Still, I really like this place and it's the best baseball bar in Toronto.
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