How it all started
Context about food hall story…
Look for the green Queen St. Fare compost symbol
Our commitment to the environment
From food to fork, Queen St. Fare is committed to the environment. From the beginning, we promised to find ways to reduce waste and cut greenhouse gas emissions. We started by partnering with local food and drink vendors who source fresh, local ingredients wherever possible.
Greener Food Hall Operations
Next, we committed to send no consumer waste to landfill. This means that the packaging is compostable and the stainless steel cutlery is repurposed. Much of our paper, which includes napkins, straws and cups will be compostable. Everything else will be recycled. When visiting us, look for the green Queen St. Fare compost symbol. It will help guide you towards compostable items.
Finally, behind the scenes, Queen St. Fare is run by a very complex and efficient heating and cooling system. Our heat is generated with electricity which has a significantly better greenhouse gas emissions than Natural Gas. Our systems are smart. The entire space breathes and adjusts the heating and cooling operations minute by minute – based on the number of people present, the angle of the sun and a dozen other factors.
Queen St. Fare is located in the Sun Life Centre, the first building in the National Capital Region to be awarded both LEED-EB Platinum and BOMA BEST® Platinum certifications.
These certifications mean that the Sun Life Centre:
- is among Canada’s top 5% of environmentally conscious spaces;
- is a place where outdoor air quality is measured and verified; and
- is a building that recognizes the importance of the community around it.
The building is also located next to efficient transit. We are right on the O-Train Confederation Line, with entrances to Parliament Station attached to our building. The main downtown bus stop is also located just outside the building, making it a convenient and environmentally friendly location for almost anyone from across the city.
Frequently asked questions
Thanks to everyone who has come to see us and #ExperienceQueenStFare. We want you to know that we’re listening to the feedback and questions you’ve been sending in. Here are some of the ones we seen to be getting more frequently than others, so we’d like to take a few minutes to address each of them.
Communicating when we’re open is a challenge because we operate like a restaurant, bar and live music venue. It could be said that we have two sets of hours: when the food vendors are serving and when the bar is open. Please refer to each vendor page for their specific hours of operation. This information can also be found at the bottom of every page on our website in the footer.
We do not take reservations simply because we have no way of managing them. If you would like to dine as a group, we suggest that a few members of your group arrive early and set aside some seats for everyone. When you and your group arrive, grab a table right away. Scope out the kitchens, maybe get a drink from the bar! Once you’ve ordered, you’ll have your seats ready to go.
The peak times occur between 12 and 12:45pm. Why not come a little earlier or a little later? Chances are you enjoy the more relaxed vibe.
There is limited valet parking available in the Sun Life Centre so if you’re choosing to drive down to see us, we recommend parking at the World Exchange Plaza (parking is limited), at Constitution Square or on the streets that surround the food hall. Parking at the World Exchange Plaza is free on Saturdays and Sundays.
There are lots of great options at Queen St. Fare for vegetarians, vegans and those people who avoid gluten. Menus for each vendor are available on their pages on our website.
If you don’t see something that clearly suits you on a vendor’s menu, just ask a them any questions you might have, as they may be able to accommodate you.
If you are interesting in the music bookings or hosting a special event like a private party or wedding, you can email our event coordinator directly at info@queenstfare.ca or fill out the Event Request Form.
A big part of what makes Queen St. Fare a food hall, and not a food court, is the attention paid to the interior design. The people responsible for making this happen are Ottawa-based designers Iron and Ivory (Iron △ Ivory).
Rnea Garrah and Kayla Pongrac built their firm around three basic principles:
- Durability: Design must have the ability to withstand usage and the passage of time.
- Function: The space must be useable and be mindful of how people use it.
- Beauty: Last but not least, it needs to catch the eye to excite the sense.
Ottawa foodies might be familiar with their work at local hotspots Pure Kitchen, Fairouz, Burger & Fries Forever and Common Eatery, to name a few.
Their goal, according to Kayla, has always been “to create divergent concepts, which bring narration to design… a story about art, food and the culture of design as inviting as it is innovative.”
Queen St. Fare’s Interior Design
Rnea and Kayla are also experienced in interior design of food halls, having designed a number of the vendor booths at Toronto’s Assembly Chef’s Hall.
Much of what they learned on that project, they’ve brought with them to Queen St. Fare, where they designed not only the booths for five of our seven food and drink vendors, but also the entire common area including the furniture, finishes, lighting and almost every other detail of the space including art, signage and wayfinding.
Queen St. Fare’s brand is about going places, movement and sharing. It’s not just a place for the daytime, it’s a place with distinct personalities in the evening and on the weekend. It’s a place for a quick lunch, a dinner with friends or a big night out. From a visual design perspective, you’ll notice strong elements of Art Deco across almost every element of the branding, and this carries into the design of the space itself.
That’s because Art Deco design was a prominent feature in the early years of public transportation and remains a strong design style in many of today’s great transportation hubs. The interior aesthetic goal at Queen St. Fare was to embed subtle Art Deco motifs in an industrial space to allude to the notion of a familiar transit environment. Communal tables promote conversation amongst individuals in transit. Q Bar provides a comfortable seat for that break between working hours or the next journey.
Iron and Ivory is collaborating with Canadian artist Kathryn Macnaughton to give the food hall a playful punch of colour using soft movements and a more modern Art Deco vibe. You’ll see Kathryn’s original work on the wall behind the stage at Queen St. Fare.
Everyone who has been working on Queen St. Fare is excited about the design of the space and we can’t wait for everyone to see it and #ExperienceQueenStFare for themselves.
