Exclusive experience: Members-only bar opens in Waterloo
A new bar in Uptown Waterloo is offering an exclusive experience based around a members-only model.
LaLa Social House has people pay up before they sit down through a monthly membership fee of $79. That price is subject to change, but what guests do get are unique benefits.
From music performances by Canadian and international artists to tech talks and different themed nights, staff say they want to give guests what they can't get at other local bars.
"Reps coming in as well and doing some food pairings with that and giving people the opportunity to try wines or spirits that they wouldn’t necessarily be able to get at the LCBO," said assistant general manager Tyla Jensen.
That is a main draw for member Robert Miller.
"The markup on [wine] is so low. You know, it's one of the benefits of private club membership. They're able to offset the cost of a wine, so if you're here maybe once, twice a month enjoying a bottle of wine, it basically pays for your membership right there," said Miller.
He says LaLa's has also been a bit of a mystery – one he wanted to discover himself.
"That FOMO, that fear of missing out, right?" he said. "It's kind of fun because people don't necessarily know that it's happening, so having this cool, secret little place to go. I mean, the secret is going to be out soon."
Staff say the members-only model allows them to get to know people on a deeper level.
LaLa Social House in Waterloo is offering a special members-only experience. (Spencer Turcotte/CTV Kitchener)
"We thought, how great would it be if you always felt like you were with a group of your friends every day and a club membership gives you that opportunity," said Todd Diamond, vice-president of operations.
But does each person at a table have to be a member? Not necessarily.
"You can come as a recurring guest. There are some limits on things like that. Once you get to know us two or three times, we're optimistic that you're going to want to join us," Diamond said.
As LaLa's continues to grow its membership, they are allowing non-members to come in on Tuesdays and Wednesdays on a short-term basis during lunch and dinner hours to try the place out.
So whether it’s the QR code scanning for members at the front door, or the quirky designs and décor, LaLa's is laser-focused on being different. And different, it is.
For anyone looking to reserve a table, or have any questions answered, you can email info@lalasocialhouse.ca.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'They needed people inside Air Canada:' Police announce arrests in Pearson gold heist
Police say one former and one current employee of Air Canada are among the nine suspects that are facing charges in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year.
House admonishes ArriveCan contractor in rare parliamentary show of power
MPs enacted an extraordinary, rarely used parliamentary power on Wednesday, summonsing an ArriveCan contractor to appear before the House of Commons where he was admonished publicly and forced to provide answers to the questions MPs said he'd previously evaded.
Trump lawyers say Stormy Daniels refused subpoena outside a Brooklyn bar, papers left 'at her feet'
Donald Trump's legal team says it tried serving Stormy Daniels a subpoena as she arrived for an event at a bar in Brooklyn last month, but the porn actor, who is expected to be a witness at the former president's criminal trial, refused to take it and walked away.
Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
Customers disappointed after email listing $60K Tim Hortons prize sent in error
Several Tim Horton’s customers are feeling great disappointment after being told by the company that an email stating they won a boat worth nearly $60,000 was sent in error.
Woman who pressured boyfriend to kill his ex in 2000s granted absences from prison
A woman who pressured her boyfriend into killing his teenage ex more than a decade ago will be allowed to leave prison for weeks at a time.
Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter banned from NBA
Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter has been handed a lifetime ban from The National Basketball Association (NBA) following an investigation which found he disclosed confidential information to sports bettors, the league says.
Storage shed or shipping container? B.C. Supreme Court settles long-running bylaw dispute
A long-running dispute over whether a structure on a Surrey property violates a city bylaw that prohibits shipping containers on residential lots has been settled by the B.C. Supreme Court