For four years, The Verge Restaurant and Bar has been operating on 4th Street S.W. Sporting a casual lounge atmosphere, it offers a unique environment on the edge of downtown. Fresh off of a day working at the popular Izo Bizo salon, which she also owns, Annette Nelson sat down with Gaycalgary.com to talk about her experiences in the bar business.
It hasn’t always been a smooth ride, as Annette is now a sole proprietor after buying out her initial partners, and at times business has been soft. The spitfire insists however that she doesn’t let it get to her, and The Verge is a blast.
"It is called "The Verge" on purpose because we are on the verge of insanity. That is what it is like to open a restaurant/bar. A lot of stress, work and money was involved, but it was fun. There was also a lot more paperwork than I ever imagined. I wasn’t prepared for that, despite owning Izo Bizo for 15 years. Then again I was 21 when I built it, so you forget how much work it is. At 21 you are full of energy."
Annette reflected on the early days of The Verge.
"At the time, I didn’t see a place for men and women in their 30’s. I wanted to create a "classy" atmosphere, and my girlfriend at the time talked me into it" she laughed. "What the place looks like has been in my head since I was 16. I was always planning on doing it, just not so soon."
Thus began the search of where to open. It proved to be more difficult then they imagined.
"I was straightforward that we were going to be a gay establishment. We looked for about six months before we found one. Some landlords didn’t want alcohol; others were willing until they found out it was a gay premise and then something "came up." One landlord told us outright that he didn’t want people picketing his property because that wouldn’t be fair to other tenants."
Since The Verge opened, there have been no protesters.
"People’s perceptions are funny. I forget that because at the salon half the clientele are gay, and a portion of the staff is as well. It was always openly gay friendly, so it has never been an issue. I was honest in part because I wanted to show landlords that there was a market, and we had staying power and weren’t just another restaurant. Around that time another spot was having problems with their new owners because of the clientele, so to avoid that, I was straight up."
After finally settling on a location, there was still plenty of effort to come.
"We did most of the work ours ourselves, except for the amazing carpenter that built the bar. Before we moved in, this location was a Tiki Hut, so lots of straw and bamboo were on the walls. It was painted black and beige, an absolute nightmare and a challenge. We got everything ready in three months working around the clock with a huge team of volunteers and contractors. Originally we had planned on spending five to six months, and we had a lease for a location on Electric Avenue, but were having difficulties with certain licenses. It was three months before we pulled out of that location and moved here. Pulling this together within a three month time period was impressive. We’d had the furniture purchased and the specs designed for the previous location so that helped."
It is difficult for a bar, gay or straight, to stay afloat. It is with a great deal of pride that Annette speaks about still being in operation after four years.
"It’s great feeling, but it is still a struggle. We play it day by day, which is stressful at times, but at the same time you go ‘Well we’ve made it his far.’ Many bars gay and straight don’t survive their first year, and even after that it can be difficult to stay afloat." Annette admits that the bar at times has faced hardship. "We almost lost the place in August. At that point, we started remarketing and trying to get people in the door that hadn’t been in awhile. It’s an ongoing battle, but I think all gay businesses have that at some point. When we almost closed, I realized how much it means to me. I can’t imagine some of our clients not having this place. I am a proud person. When I admitted we were having trouble, seeing all of the people that stepped in to help, that touched me. It showed that we do mean something to the community. That is a success. "
As many owners will attest, owning and operating a restaurant/bar is a full time job in itself. So is running a salon, which Annette has been doing for 15 years. Putting the two together requires a great deal of strength and effort.
"It’s insane. I am swamped, and just to make sure that I don’t get bored, I throw in things like Calgary Cares. We do a ton of volunteer work as well. I have had a lot of support; between staff and friends I have a lot of support all the time. When we were in danger of losing the place, I had these amazing women volunteer; we had a mixed staff of paid and volunteers. People like them have helped keep us open."
Community and Charity is a big part of Annette’s life and passion. It shows in her commitment to charities.
"For the last 15 years at the salon, every penny we made went to non-profit organizations. My accountant wanted to commit me," she joked. "I could give you a list a mile long of who we have supported; we do a lot of work for AIDS Calgary and its affiliates, as well as the Children’s Hospital, Mustard Seed, Breast Cancer Research. It goes on and on. I love doing it, but I admit I went overboard."
That effort paid off last year when Izo Bizo was awarded the Humanitarian Award for all of Canada from Aveda.
"They checked the list, made sure it was true and gave me the award while smiling and shaking their head at the same time. I did come by it honestly, I have been volunteering with my Mom since I was 8."
Like many places that cater to a mainly female client base, The Verge has had to battle the erroneous idea that some have of The Verge – that it is a lesbian bar.
"There is a misconception that we are strictly a lesbian bar – since it is all women who work here, and they are all gay. Our clientele are mostly lesbians, but Friday nights for example it is 50/50. It depends on the day. Saturday nights are primarily women, but men are more than welcome. Any women that don’t welcome men are quickly told where we stand. I have my regular boys as well. I’ve never believed in segregation in the community."
One of the appealing factors of the Verge is its open door policy, allowing anyone in the door regardless of gender, age, or orientation.
"There has been a rift in the community from some establishments closing their doors to segments of the community. I hear it from a lot of women. ‘Why do you let boys in? The boys clubs don’t let us in.’ I say ‘well that’s not me.’ My friends are both men and women, and I don’t want to stop any of them from coming into my bar. I’ve had the arguments."
That isn’t the only misconception.
"Another one I heard from someone who had never been here was that we were too snooty or fancy and were too expensive. I compared our prices to everywhere else, and we were on par with other bars. I also have people ask if they can bring their straight friends. The answer is ‘well of course’. It’s a unique environment; I’ve seen one table where it’s a group of women in their 50’s sitting with 20 year olds. That didn’t happen when we first opened; it was primarily women in their 30’s and up. The night I realized how neat The Verge can be, was this night when two men came in after the opera wearing tuxedo’s, and they felt very comfortable. At the same time, I had a group of friends, a few teenage girls, a lesbian couple in their 50’s who were obviously very much in love, and some straight kids. Nobody was bothered by anyone else. Everyone was comfortable. That was cool."
She took a moment to describe The Verge’s atmosphere.
"During the week, we have a lounge concept. We have quiet blues music playing, so you can talk with your friends. We have people do small meetings here or play cards. It’s a very casual, relaxed type of feel. Every other Thursday, we have Karaoke, and it gets rowdy. On Saturdays, we will have dancing or name that tune. Otherwise it’s laid back. "
Annette feels it is important to concentrate on the great aspects of Calgary’s LGBT community.
"I like to point out the strength we have. It is too easy for people to put down the community. It’s common regardless; people put down the cities they live in, even Calgary, until they move away. The community is the same thing. People have to be more tolerant. When I first came out, there wasn’t really a boys club and a girls club; we all hung out together. Just because I like women doesn’t mean they are the only people I want to be around."
Having witnessed a lot of change and growth in Calgary, she shared her thoughts.
"I believe in the community; it’s amazing. I’ve always fought for gay rights. However, I find that in the past people supported gay businesses a lot more. It’s great that we have reached this level of acceptance in society, but if we don’t support gay business, we won’t have them anymore. That would be a shame. Every person who was hired to create this bar, except for one plumber, was hired from the gay community. I do believe in supporting the community as much as possible. I spend more money sometimes to use someone in the community because, in turn, I know they give it back in as well."
Charities rely on business support to survive, and by supporting gay businesses, you in turn support the groups that they support.
"Every single gay business owner in this city is passionate and gives back to the community. They may have very different opinions, but they are passionate about it."
The future of Calgary’s gay community rests on its shoulders.
"It’s up to them. If they realize the value of solidarity, then there will be great things. I hear some young kids who are unable to comprehend fighting for rights because they have so many and didn’t have to struggle to get them. I was the baby of people who really had to fight for rights because of intolerance, and nowadays people have more rights. When I was a teenager I was around people who were very passionate for change. People say ‘why march in the parade?’ my response is ‘Do it for the 16 year old who feels they are alone in the world.’ When I saw my first pride march on TV, even though it was small, I was like ‘Wow, there are people I can talk too.’"
For now, Annette balances her two worlds and continues to plan for success.
"If we can get to the point where we are financially stable, we can do more, whether it is expand or do more in the community. I am looking forward to that."
Related Articles
Contributor Jason Clevett |
Locale Calgary |
Topic The Verge |
Photo Gallery
