SIMPL THINGS occupies a compact space on Parkdale’s Dundas West strip – 27 seats inside, 32 on the terrace – with the bar running counter-height along one wall and an open kitchen catching guests at the door. The room is colourful without being loud: vintage Sputnik lamps from the 1970s, purple cantilever chairs, an accent wall of curated glassware, Italian leather banquettes built by a local fabricator. Owner Evelyn Chick – who studied art history and visual arts before moving into hospitality – designed the space herself, painting every wall and sourcing every piece, drawing consciously from the Bauhaus principle that craft, function, and community can share a room. The result feels lived-in rather than staged.

Bartenders work in full view, and the back bar – three orange neon shelves with wine storage below – is easily read from any seat. The drinks programme is built around approachability rather than spectacle. The menu divides into legacy cocktails that have earned a kind of permanence on the list, a seasonal section built around what Ontario producers can reliably supply, and a range of Cosmopolitan variations given a house-specific treatment. Drink descriptions are deliberately playful, written to start conversations rather than intimidate – the menu includes a smaller-measure section so guests can sample without committing. The non-alcoholic menu is built to the same standard as the main list, ranging from highballs through to stirred, bitter-forward builds, and means every guest has the same depth of choice.

Cocktails are served in the bar’s own Story glassware line, produced through Evelyn Chick Projects, with minimal garnishing – either an aroma enhancer or something edible. Behind the bar, the preparation operation runs from an offsite space where bartenders rotate through prep duties weekly, giving the whole team visibility into what goes into each component. Syrups, cordials, clarified bases, oleos, shrubs, infused spirits, and house Amari are all made in-house, with batch logs and weight-based measurements maintaining consistency. Spent citrus finds its way into cordials and secondary syrups. Menu development runs over around six weeks, beginning with a collective decision on seasonal direction, working through spirit base balance and ABV spread, and ending with a full team tasting before anything goes live.

Hiring prioritises attitude and emotional intelligence over industry experience, and the approach to development follows the same logic – staff are brought into menu creation and operational decisions early, with one-to-one mentoring built around individual goals rather than prescribed next steps. Those who want to pursue further education or competition work are supported with time and resources to do so; longer-term contributors can access profit-sharing and commission structures. Pre-shift briefings include a check on how everyone is feeling alongside the operational rundown, and the closing routine ends with a team debrief that keeps communication open across the whole group.