Christmas themed bar raises $30,000 for Nellie’s
As 2018 drew to a close, a pop-up bar on Queen Street West drew a lot of attention from both the media and Torontonians alike. This bar, which was only open from Black Friday until Boxing Day, was a fun project by Nick Kennedy, owner of the bar Civil Liberties, and Lauren McKenna. It was decked out from top to bottom with everything Christmas, served up only speciality Christmas-themed cocktails, and many days, had lineups around the block.
And, $1 of every drink sold was donated to Nellie’s Shelter.
After they closed the doors for the season, Nick and Lauren presented Nellie’s with a cheque for $30,000. The funds supported our transitional housing program, which helps women living at the shelter and in the community secure safe and affordable housing.
“We are really impressed with the work Nellie’s does so it was an easy choice when we were picking which organization to donate to,” says Nick.
Adds Lauren, “When I learned about Nellie’s and what they do, I was really impressed. Because they don’t just give women a place to land, their programs and services help women get back on their feet.”
Miracle on Queen Street was the Toronto franchise of the worldwide Miracle pop-up concept. Started in 2014 in New York City, the concept brings holiday-themed drinks and over-the-top Christmas decorations to cities across Canada, Europe, Asia and Central America. Nick and Lauren’s project, which took over an event space on Queen Street West, was the first in Toronto.
And when we say over-the-top, we mean it! The bar proudly celebrated everything Christmas, with tinsel, twinkly lights and other holiday kitsch at every turn. Unique festive cocktails were served by bartenders wearing ugly Christmas sweaters.
“Because of Miracle’s success in other places around the world, we knew it would be popular. But it was even more successful than we expected,” says Lauren, adding that Miracle on Queen Street was featured in all of the major media outlets in Toronto. “It blew up way more than we thought it would. Some days there were four-hour waits just to get in!”
Nick and Lauren are already making plans to open a 2019 Miracle pop-up bar. “We definitely want to continue supporting Nellie’s going forward. We want to support the expansion of their programming and services for women and their children,” says Nick.
Thank you, Nick and Lauren! Your generosity helps the women and their children who come to Nellie’s learn, gain support, find friends and build the confidence they need to successfully accomplish the next chapter in their lives. We can’t wait to visit this year’s Miracle pop-up bar!
