Explore The Heart of Orléans
Restaurants, Shops and Services in Orléans, Ottawa
What You Are Saying...
Bookkeeping Bureau
Todd Muise, Chief Operating Officer
“The BIA has been a fantastic part of our business. It’s allowed us to find new friends, neighbours in the community, recognize business opportunities through networking events, enabled us to interact with various levels of government, to be up to date on recent programs and initiatives that we may otherwise not be aware of, and last but not least, it’s given our team the opportunity to volunteer and interact in our community at a level that is not usually provided to them and we’ve seen the impact that has occurred. We are really proud to be a part of
the Orléans Community and the BIA. I can’t understand why someone wouldn’t want to be part of the BIA.
Really, business is about community. It’s about building clients. It’s about building word of mouth, creating trust, finding new opportunities. The BIA is really a community of businesses and when you are a part of that, you can lean on all the other businesses to help grow your own and help grow theirs. So to me, it’s a no brainer! Everybody should be part of the BIA. What surprised me the most about being a member of the BIA was that it provided more energy than it has taken. It has fuelled me to look at my community in a different way and and play a different role and when I first started in the BIA I thought that it would be somewhere I would put my energy but now I find after our meetings, after our networking events, after I get the most recent copy of The Beat, I’m excited about my community, I’m excited about what’s happening, and I just want to find a way to do more.
I would describe the BIA as “Community”. The BIA really served an important role during the pandemic. Much of the Orléans business community were looking to the BIA for up-to-date notices on covid related closures, on health and safety measures and what other businesses were doing. It was a great place to get information from our elected officials and when we were all spending more time at home, and feeling like we were not provided with the opportunity to interact with other businesses, the Heart of Orléans BIA gave us a chance to come together in one forum to share ideas, share challenges and support each other. I would certainly recommend the BIA.
Todd Muise, COO Bookkeeping Bureau
2618 St Joseph Blvd Suite 200, Ottawa, ON K1C 1G3
(613) 424-1101
Moveo Sports and Manual Physiotherapy
Renée LeBlanc, Co-Owner
“Moveo opened its doors in 2016 and the BIA was the first organization to contact us. It felt like a sense of belonging in the Orléans community. I soon became a part of the board of directors, which allowed me to further connect with other members of the community. The BIA has several mandates that it is pursuing, such as the beautification of St-Joseph Boulevard. The BIA also has a special relationship with political representatives at the federal, provincial and municipal levels. For new members, this is a unique experience that can give a business the tools to get on board.
If you need an organization that knows you by your first name, and wants you to succeed, the BIA is the organization that will support you in your professional journey.
The BIA offers many tools some of which help you learn what is going on in the community. We have access to the Beat magazine. There is also access to blogs from members in addition to the newsletter that is sent out every two weeks. The BIA also shares all the events on its social networks.
Finally, there is the opportunity to network, meet other companies and share ideas and tips with them. The members of the board are very friendly and welcoming people.
During the first few months of the covid, the situation was very volatile, the BIA immediately adapted and added a covid page to their website that included all the changes that happened daily.
I would give the BIA a 10 out of 10, without hesitation!”
Stray Dog Brewing Company
Marc Plante, Co-Owner
“The importance of the BIA is all about community – and not only bringing people together but small businesses together. A rising tide raises all boats and the BIA really offers that to all small businesses – not only to connect with each other but to connect with the community. What I like most about the BIA is the connections we make with other business owners. We can share some of our successes and some of our failures as well. We can learn from each other and support each other at the same time. I would definitely recommend the BIA to other businesses.
We are stronger working together than we are working apart. You just never know what another business can offer your business. through the pandemic the BIA was pretty instrumental in our survival, if you will. Not only did they offer some great tools and resources to get through some of those trying times but they also offered lots of links to different grants and funding available for small businesses that we may not otherwise have know about. The BIA is all about community – the thread that joins us all together”
Marc Plante, Co-Owner Stray Dog Brewing Company
501 Lacolle Way Unit 4, Orléans, ON K4A 5B6
(613) 830-7364
Modo Yoga Orléans
Julie Pangilinan, Co-Owner
“The Heart of Orléans BIA helped our business through their constant support, various initiatives such as meeting and connecting us other businesses and letting us know what is happening on the street. It’s really important to know what is going on and I really do enjoy receiving their email. I flag it so I can read it later when I have more time because the information provided is really good. Things like new businesses, LRT updates, government incentives – a lot of information all in one email. We are open today because of the support that was provided during the pandemic. Family owned businesses makes Orléans a unique spot and we’re smack dab in the middle of it! I rate the BIA a 10 out of 10!”
Julie Pangilinan, Co-Owner Modo Yoga Orléans
2442 St Joseph Blvd, Orléans, ON K1C 1G1
(613) 424-8221
Ace Arte Studio
Steffi Acevedo, Owner
“As a new business owner, as soon as I opened I did reach out to the BIA. I found it very helpful to connect with other business owners and resources that would help me promote my new business and grow my audience. They have been great at promoting my classes and my creative business. I found it really nice to connect with other local business owners as well to see what the community was like. I’ve been in Orléans for about 6 years, but I still felt like I was relatively new to the area so getting to know my audience and the community was really helpful with the BIA.
I was asked to join the BIA through the marketing department. I think they were looking for someone creative, to have some nice creative, new ideas to promote the BIA so I’m happy to be part of their existing projects and new projects to help the community in Orléans and grow other businesses.
What I like best about the BIA is that it is very approachable because it is made up of other small business owners. Some of them have been in business for many years and some of them are brand new, like myself. When we’re looking for updates on the LRT or grant opportunities, they’re really easy to chat with. What surprised me is how great they are at promoting all the members in the BIA, so any time I have an event or a class or something going on all I have to do is tag them and then they’re happy to share. I’ve had a lot of students and a lot of customers come through my doors because they’ve heard about my business through the BIA.
I would 100% recommend the BIA to other small businesses. Like I said, it’s made up of all business owners in different parts of their business journeys so it’s really great to help those that are just starting and then to learn from those that have been in business for a long time. It is a really great community in Orléans and it’s nice to be able to chat with other peers.
We got this space around Christmas time, around January or February. I was still focusing on building the space, so I hadn’t reached out to the BIA yet. Once I started getting my programming ready is when I reached out to them. It was a tricky time because there wasn’t an end date and I know there is still a lot going on, but I knew that they had my back whether I had to pivot my business plan to teach more privately, that was my second option, was to use this big, open space and then teach people one on one or in very small groups. The BIA, as soon as they heard there was a new business and it was a creative business, I think they were eager to help me grow. I think because of the pandemic people are really craving to connect again and heal through art, which my background is in art therapy as well, so I was happy to be able to provide that service for people in the community.”
Steffi Acevedo, Owner Ace Arte Studio
2095 St Joseph Blvd Unit 1, Orléans ON, K1C 1C5
(613) 590-1010
Art of Bean Coffee Co.
Elizabeth Iverson, Co-Owner
“The BIA has been really helpful for us as new business owners in this community. Having only known the people in our immediate surroundings, with the music school and the art gallery, it was a really good way for us to connect with other business owners and even the broader audience of people in Orléans. They posted us to their social media, we’ve gone to networking events, and we’ve just met some really great people within the business community and within our community that we are currently in.
The thing I like most about the BIA is that sense of community and just knowing that you have a group of people that have your back and are looking out for the best interest in Orléans. Knowing that there’s people working towards making positive changes and collaborating, it makes you feel a lot more welcomed and I think that also comes across to the people that live here, that there is a group of people that are actively working really hard to enrich spaces and to support local business.
As for coming out of the pandemic, the BIA was very good at posting and letting us know what was going on in the community in terms of what was opened, what was closed, things that were allowed and not allowed to be happening, which was helpful when we were still navigating being a new business and all the rules that came with opening and closing while things were still actively happening with pandemic protocols.
One word I would use to describe the BIA is welcoming. We have felt that way since when we opened and they first came in to let us know who they were, what they were doing and I think that has been really nice, especially being new business owners, is that sense of feeling like we do belong here in this community. People are supporting us and want us to be here.
I would absolutely recommend any other business to join the BIA. It’s a great space to workshop ideas and brainstorm, you’re going to feel a lot more in touch with what’s happening here, whether that’s where new developments are happening or new places that are opening up, it’s just a great resource of information. They also have a lot of resources in terms of things that you can utilize to benefit your business, whether it’s help with promotion or business services, things that you would have a hard time finding out or connecting with on your own. I would definitely rank it a 10/10. They have been so incredibly welcoming, so helpful as we’ve been opening our new business, and again, I would highly recommend to anyone that wants to join, there’s nothing but positivity that’s come from it.”
The Bad Alibi
Jason Morris, Owner
I’m Jason Morris, we opened up two years ago, I’m the owner operator of the Bad Alibi. Quite happy to be here. I have a partner, Matt Lewis, as well. We’re both local boys, we’ve been here since 1971 so we’ve been in the city since the beginning of Orléans pretty much!
We opened up June 16th two years ago right at the end of the pandemic, just as covid was finishing. We built during COVID, we took that risk and said “hey lets try it out”. We
opened up the first day we were legally allowed to open the patio. We have a lot of teams that come in here at night. During the daytime we have lunch specials, dinner specials through the weekend. We get a lot of feedback to try new items, every two months we update our menu and add three or four new things. Sometimes we add new appetizers, sometimes burgers, sandwiches, and pasta. We cater to halal, vegetarians, vegans, we try to get everybody in the community to be able to come in here without feeling like “Oh, I can’t have anything off the menu.”
So over the years Matt and I have both been in the industry. I’ve been a server/bartender and Matts been a server/bartender, manager, and owner-operator of a few different places, but this is the first time we’ve actually owned something ourselves. We thought we would come in and try something new and make everything from scratch. Nothing you see on our menu is brought in frozen, we bring it in fresh, ready to go, locally sourced. All our meat comes from Lavergnes, all our vegetables come from Macartneys (Farm), we locally source a lot of our spring mix as well. We do that specifically so when you walk in the door it’s made just like you would make it at home, only we’re doing it for you and then taking care of everything.
The good thing about the BIA is they give us a little bit of recognition in the area, they put us out there. People see the BIA, and look for different restaurants and with the BIA they see us as a local establishment from the point of view that we’re local boys that are making food for you! Our goal is, if you have a problem or something is wrong, it does happen and we have errors here and there, but we make sure that we correct them for you. If you need something you can come and see me or Matt, we’re here almost 24hrs a day, and we’re happy to help and make sure you have a good experience.
The best thing with the BIA is that they help all the local businesses, they get the names out there, people don’t know all the restaurants in Orléans, even for people that have lived here forever. You can go to their site to see what’s there for you, what’s available in the area, what’s available in Orléans. It is nice to have a site that does that for you, that guides you towards different locations and gives you a chance to try local places in the area.
The BIA came in and saw us right at the beginning when we were still building, they’ve been around with us within a month or two after we opened. As we were building we weren’t sure what was going on with the pandemic, when it was going to end, what was going to happen, so it was hard to get our name out there at that point. But once we joined and got into it, they’ve been with us since the beginning.
It is always good to have the local source to find things or talk to people. It is good to have a group of people that can help influence a local area, they’re giving people a chance in Orléans to know what is in Orléans.
Every contact I’ve had they’ve been great, they’ve been very supportive, asking us questions, there’s been no forced pressure. It’s always a choice, we’re happy to support them and they’re happy supporting us. It comes down to the fact that as a local Orléans restaurant and being local boys and employers now, we want to support the community and local events, we want to be a part of the community. We want the community to feel like when they walk in the door, no matter what walk of life they come from, you are always welcome and we are happy to cater to you so that your experience is the best possible.
Jason Morris, Owner – The Bad Alibi
5935 Jeanne D’Arc Blvd S, Orléans, ON K1C 2N1
(613) 424-7000
Gifty’s
Gifty Abiad, Owner
(The BIA) has been amazing, especially with this move to our new location. We were stranded with the move, we were looking at another location and they played us for about eight months, meanwhile our old location got rented and we had only two months to look for a place. We found this (location) and with the help of the BIA everything happened in less than a month. Tannis was amazing, I called her and said “I’m in trouble, I have appointments booked and I have nowhere to work.” All our stuff was in storage and they stepped in and helped us with everything and in three weeks this whole place was built. Every time I’ve needed anything and reached out to them they are on board to help out.
It’s nice knowing there is someone there that cares, that we can reach out to because we’re just a drop in the ocean so knowing that they are only a phone call away or we can go down to their (office) is just comforting. Especially with covid we have suffered quite a lot, and whenever there has been anything that they think will be an advantage to us they not only email, but we’ll even get a phone call.
If I had one word to describe the BIA it would be “amazing”. It’s something that is there to help the businesses so business owners should take advantage of it because they can do a lot more for us than we can do on our own.
When I attended my first meeting, which was of course online, I was a bit lost and overwhelmed because although I had been running a business, I was never part of the BIA and then after I started attending the meetings just I felt so comfortable not only from the BIA but from other entrepreneurs. Hearing the problems that others had and the questions they were asking you feel like you have others with you, you don’t feel alone. I never knew there was anything like (the BIA) until someone mentioned it to me one day when I was moving to St Joseph.
Quilty Pleasures
Val Jensen, Co-Owner
“St-Joseph Boulevard is the heart of Orleans, and the Heart of Orleans BIA is its biggest booster. With almost 400 businesses in the area, the street offers a wide range of products, services, and restaurants, and the BIA is doing a phenomenal job of both promoting them and supporting them.
The BIA’s regular newsletters and social media posts, along with The Beat and their web site, are informative and engaging, welcoming new businesses, reintroducing existing ones and actively encouraging the public to shop local. And their recent Faces of Business initiative did an amazing job of reminding us all that our businesses are comprised of people, people who care deeply about this community.
On the support side, the BIA has really stepped up to help local businesses during this extraordinary time of COVID. Providing regular updates on government regulations and assistance programs, on-going liaison and advocacy with the three levels of government, and valuable tools to help businesses navigate the often-murky waters, the BIA has proved itself to be firmly on the side of local business. If you run a business in the St-Joseph area, you may be a member of the Heart of Orleans BIA and not even know it. If that’s the case, you and your business are missing out!”
Val Jensen, Co-Owner Quilty Pleasures
2211 St Joseph Boulevard, Orléans, ON K1C 7C5
(613) 834-3044
The Love of Chocolate Factory
Moiz Hassanali, Owner
“Our company, The Love Of Chocolate Factory, would like to shine some light on how the Heart of Orléans BIA has been instrumental in helping our business grow.
The COVID-19 era has been challenging for all businesses, however the BIA has helped our company tremendously during these difficult times. Tannis has been outstanding and has always gone out of her way to ensure we get all the help needed. Her regular updates for all stages of COVID-19 have been timely and extremely informative.
Tannis, during the first stage of all non essential business closures, contacted us and included our company on the BIA website informing the public that we are open for curbside pickup and deliveries. This was a vital tool for customers to know we are open to serve them and that helped draw customers to our store.
She also undertook an important mission during these difficult times to ensure the less fortunate citizens had food on the table through her food bank drive.
We have made several requests to Tannis on different levels concerning our business and she has taken care of all of them effectively without any delay. She has even replied to our emails during off working hours, she is totally dedicated to her job.
The Beat, the online connection has always been very productive, giving all updates of what’s happening in our beautiful Orleans.
This small note is to Thank BIA and especially Tannis. Keep up the wonderful work including beautifying Orleans streets with flowers, banners and benches.”
Moiz Hassanali, Owner The Love Of Chocolate Factory
2866 St Joseph Boulevard, Orléans, ON K1C 1G7
(613) 424-5031
The Massage & Treatment Centre
Amanda Smith
“The Heart of Orleans BIA is the voice that gets key economic issues heard for local business, they collaborate with the Ottawa Board of Trade, city, province and federally elected officials to ensure the virtues and concerns of our business community are widely known and addressed, as well as promoting our area as a local tourist destination. As a business owner I have directly benefited from their advocacy through promotional marketing, local festivals, events, and beautification. I am proud to have my business in Orleans with the Support of my local BIA.”
Amanda Smith, Co-Owner The Massage and Treatment Centre
1224 Place d’Orléans Dr unit 110, Orléans, ON K1C 7K3
(613) 837-2740
Stray Dog Brewing Company
Marc Plante
“The Heart of Orléans BIA plays a vital role in promoting and supporting local businesses.
The staff and board members of the BIA are very passionate about celebrating the rich and diverse community that is Orléans. They are very active in communicating with their members as well as to their constituents, delivering timely and informative news through a variety of channels.
Throughout the pandemic, the BIA doubled-down its efforts to get community members to shop and support local, which means a lot to many of us.”
Marc Plante, Co-Owner Stray Dog Brewing Company
501 Lacolle Way Unit 4, Orléans, ON K4A 5B6
(613) 830-7364
Money Coaches Canada
Janet Gray
“I am happy to support my local business community by advertising in The Beat. I love that The Beat features various stores, offices and other enterprises on the main street of my long-time community and it also gives me practical information like municipal updates, upcoming LRT information, and helpful business tips. It’s a great way to keep up to date with your friends, neighbours and businesses in your Orléans community.”
Janet Gray, B.A., B. Admin., CFP®, EPC, CPCA
Money Coaches Canada
Beachcomber Hot Tubs
André Grzela
“The Beat is an awesome place to advertise – local exposure is what it’s all about and it has brought new clients within days of its digital release. It offers REALLY good bang for the buck and I strongly recommend any local business in Orléans to advertise in the Beat.”
André Grzela, Owner Beachcomber Hot Tubs
1993 St – Joseph, Orléans, ON, Canada K1C 1E5
(613) 837-2929
CP Business Solutions
Catherine Priestman
“As an Associate Member of the Heart of Orléans BIA, I am continually grateful for the opportunity to belong to the organization. The BIA serves as a central source for local business information and is a much needed hub for connection. My membership absolutely impacts where I shop and do business and it has paid for itself 10X over. Connections. Referrals. Leads. Information. Community. The BIA plays a vital role in our business community.”
Catherine Priestman, Owner CP Business Solutions
Orléans, Ontario
(613) 791-5670
Royal Bank of Canada
Patricia Bonacci
“The Heart of Orléans is the anchor of our community. You may ask why I make this statement?
RBC was a member of the Heart of Orléans BIA when we were located on Centrum Boulevard. At that time, we were also members of the Orléans Chamber which has since been combined with 2 other local city chambers to form the Orléans Board of Trade (OBOT). When the OBOT was amalgamated, we didn’t really give too much thought to how the BIA in Orléans encompassed our local community. We did, however, participate in some clean up days and went to a couple of events. We just didn’t realize how much the BIA does for Orléans. Fast forward a few years and with the move of the RBC Branch just down the street, we reached out to the BIA to see how we can collaborate together to be in the community. This is when we found out that due to the move we were located just outside the BIA district and no longer members. The BIA offered us an Associate Membership which provided many of the same benefits as a member with the exception of things like voting. Upon talking to the two wonderful ladies at the BIA (Tannis and Rita), it was a no brainer… We had to become Associate Members!
Since we became Associate Members a little over two years ago, we have been engaged in the Orléans Community, networked through virtual events, handed out BIA keychains and even went out to the local businesses to see “Who is Who” in the Orléans community. It has been great to get to know most of the businesses within Orléans that we would not have known had we not become Associate Members. Being Associate Members we were engaged through the BIA Faces of Business campaign, asked to add insightful financial advice in the newsletter and we became team members of the Member Engagement committee where we have built in depth relationships with the other BIA Members!
So to sum it all up, it is very rewarding to be an Associate Member of the Heart of Orléans BIA. It has brought the Orléans community much closer together and we look forward to continuing our relationship with the BIA in the years to come!”
Patricia Bonacci, Community Manager
2945 St – Joseph, Orléans, ON
(613) 830-1010
ACE Arte Studio
Steffi Acevedo
“The Heart of Orléans BIA has been instrumental in promoting my new business ACE Arte Studio with the community. Tannis, Rita and everyone at the BIA has been amazing to work with! Thanks a million!”
Steffi Acevedo, Owner ACE Arte Studio
2095 St-Joseph Boulevard Orléans, Ontario K1C 1E7
(613) 590-1010