Bar Locale Newmarket: Real Story Behind the Hot Opening

I'm sitting across from Lilly Vona at Bar Locale just days before opening, and even in this final preparation stage, you can feel the energy she and partner Frank Facciponte have built into this space. The music system is being tested, the bar is being stocked, and small plates are being perfected in the kitchen. It's exactly the sophisticated yet genuinely fun atmosphere they envisioned when they first laid eyes on this landmark location.

Between the Covers: So you're about to open. How does it feel to see your vision finally coming to life?
Lilly: It's incredible. This has been something I've always wanted to do. Through my travels, all through my young life, at home when my parents were big entertainers, this is what I've always enjoyed. Sharing plates, small plates, it's collaborative. It invites social connection. Food is so many things to so many people, but at the end of the day, it's family, it's love, it's culture.

BTC: So what made Newmarket the right fit for this concept?

Lilly: Actually, Newmarket wasn't even on our radar initially. We were actively looking at locations in midtown Toronto when we got approached to look at this property. It's a town-owned landmark location, and we only had one hour to view the space before deciding if we wanted to go through the whole RFP process, business plan, presentation, financials, the works. 

But honestly, the moment we saw it, we knew. And then when we learned about Main Street's accolades and what this community has built, we got really excited about being part of both the community and the business community here. It's such a unique opportunity to be in a landmark location that has this incredible heritage and significance to the town.

BTC: You and Frank are business partners AND life partners. How do you not kill each other when the restaurant is having a shit day?

Lilly: laughs We're both Geminis, so we're like the nicest four people you'll ever meet! But Geminis make exciting lovers, exciting partners. Exciting doesn't always mean easy, it's intense sometimes. We play hard, we work hard, we love hard. It's just who we are. And somehow through this crazy life we live, we raised three of the most amazing, well-balanced young men. That's my proudest achievement.

BTC: What's been the biggest learning curve in expanding to three locations?

Lilly: Learning to step back and trust our team. It took years, me and Frank worked on site 24/7 for years, for us to be able to oversee operations without micromanaging. Now we can go to our own restaurants and enjoy them as guests. Well, mostly. I still notice dust and fingerprints on the walls, you can't help it!

BTC: Let's talk about that renovation. You literally stripped this place to the bare bones.

Lilly: We did! It was a massive undertaking, but we had this vision of a space that could effortlessly transition from relaxed daytime lunch and brunch to a vibrant nighttime hotspot. That required completely rebuilding and redesigning everything. Every detail matters when you're trying to create an experience that lets people fully immerse themselves from the moment they walk in.

BTC: How are you planning to balance creating that vibrant energy while still making it a place people can actually connect?

Lilly: The music's going to be loud. When people come from our other Locale locations and say "the music's too loud," we're gonna be like "Crank it!" People should know that before coming in. But trust me, it will work. I'm 60, and I want to go to a place with loud music and crafted cocktails on date night. Sometimes you don't want to talk so much to your partner, you listen to the music together. It's gonna be vibrant, it's gonna give you energy.

BTC: Your team seems ready to launch.

Lilly: I could not do this without my core team. Steve Oletic will be our restaurant manager here, what he's achieved to make sure Aurora's in good hands while dedicating himself 24/7 to getting this place ready is incredible. Chef Michael Dadd is our head chef, and Eli Rosch is our bar manager. We've collaborated on everything together, and I can't wait for people to experience what we've built.

The relationship between restaurant owner and chef is like a very complex dance. When you find that balance with somebody, you fucking go with it. Michael had so much potential beyond what he was doing, small plates, ingredient-driven cooking, this is his niche. And when I let him go, this is what we got.

BTC: Chef Michael, tell us about your approach to the menu.

Chef Michael Dadd: It's all about Mediterranean inspiration using local ingredients. We're doing everything from scratch, sardines we'll be cleaning and marinating in-house, 40 pounds a week. The patatas bravas, which we introduced at Beer Fest, went over really well. And the croquettas, very Spanish traditional but with a Scotch egg element, so there's a beautiful soft poached egg in the middle.

I grew up 15 minutes north of here, so using local produce from the Holland Marsh has always been engrained in everything I do. I can't wait for guests to discover these flavor combinations.

BTC: What's the hardest part about getting ready to open this concept?

Lilly: Honestly? The hardest part has been navigating the delays and supply chain issues. Post-COVID, everything is more expensive, 30 to 35% more, and nothing arrives on time. A simple barstool turns into a six-week delay. But we push through because growth isn’t just about opening another space, it’s about creating opportunity. For our team, our community, and the vision we believe in.

I can't wait for our regular customers from King and Aurora to discover this different side of what we do, and to welcome new faces to the family.

"Food is so many things to so many people, but at the end of the day, it's family, it's love, it's culture."

BTC: The design here is stunning. Tell me about those details.

Lilly: Every single detail has been thought of, from the bathrooms to the little fringe on the barstools. The glass chandeliers are hand-blown from England. The moth wallpaper, I wanted something edgy. But here's the crazy part: when we first got in this place during construction, I went into that dusty, ugly washroom, and a moth landed on the wall. I was thinking about a logo representing transformation, of Locale, of this space, of myself. Moths are attracted to night and light, and this is the night. Everything just clicked.

BTC: What's next for the Locale empire?

Lilly: We're going to go RV for a month, because that's what we do. Montreal's been calling, so... I don't know. Let's end it with that.

As our conversation winds down and the final preparations continue around us, it's clear that Lilly is about to achieve exactly what she set out to, a place where food is love, where collaboration happens naturally, and where every detail serves the bigger vision of bringing people together. Bar Locale is ready to open, and Newmarket is about to discover something special.