{"id":14304,"date":"2017-09-15T12:13:07","date_gmt":"2017-09-15T16:13:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.ca\/insightblog\/?p=14304"},"modified":"2017-09-21T12:57:03","modified_gmt":"2017-09-21T16:57:03","slug":"vision-quest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sothebysrealty.ca\/insightblog\/en\/2017\/09\/15\/vision-quest\/","title":{"rendered":"Vision Quest"},"content":{"rendered":"

It may sound eccentric, but \u201cgastronomic town square\u201d is how 58-year-old Drake Hotel\u2019s founder, Jeff Stober, explains his latest venture, Drake Commissary. Housed in a former manufacturing building in Toronto\u2019s up-and-coming Junction Triangle district, it boasts a coffeehouse-meets-cocktail-lounge vibe. Here, depending on the time of day, you might find neighbouring artists munching on made-from-scratch scones, or time-starved parents grabbing a quinoa-salad lunch while stocking up on staples such as fresh bread and jam (artisanal, no less). Or you could bump into the post-work crowd commiserating, celebrating or decompressing over a glass of ros\u00e9 and charcuterie board.<\/p>\n

If the multigenerational laid-back-social-hub formula seems familiar, that\u2019s because we\u2019ve seen it before in various incarnations. In 2004, long before West Queen West became the highly populated hipster haven that it is today, Stober had a radical idea. Build a 19-room boutique hotel for locals (tourists are welcome, too). Add a street-level restaurant, rooftop patio, live music and DJ lounge, quirky general store, contemporary art and curated cultural events. Voil\u00e0, <\/em>the Drake Hotel was born (an expansion is in the works, including an extended lobby and 32 additional guest rooms, aka \u201ccrash pads\u201d). Famous faces who have graced the Drake with their presence include everyone, from actors Woody Harrelson and Zo\u00eb Kravitz to beloved Blue Jay Marcus Stroman to musicians Moby, Beck and rapper Drake.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"\"Jeff Stober, the mastermind behind the Drake, takes in the scene at Drake One Fifty, a \u201970s building that has now been transformed into a cool downtown brasserie.<\/a><\/div>\n

Stober\u2019s new art-clad space, Drake Commissary \u2014 an 8,000-square-foot bakery, bar and larder \u2014 appears as if it\u2019s been in the neighbourhood all along. The exposed-brick building blends in seamlessly with its neighbours, including Henderson Brewing Co. and House of Anansi Press (later this year, Toronto\u2019s highly anticipated Museum of Contemporary Art will be housed across the street, in the iconic Tower Automotive Building). Inside is an open-concept production kitchen, with devoted chefs creating concoctions not just for the Commissary but also for Drake Catering, which launched in February, as well as dry goods for all six Drake General Stores.<\/p>\n

Back in 2004, Stober was instrumental in transforming a once-barren strip of West Queen West into the thriving design and arts district it\u2019s become. But he refuses to take credit. \u201cThe neighbourhoods [we discover] have been chosen by artists, by creatives, long before we uncover them,\u201d says Stober, who was born in Montreal but has called Toronto home for nearly 30 years. \u201cThese are neighbourhoods that are deeply ingrained with personality, historic architecture and a creative pedigree.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"\"<\/div>\n

The same can be said for Drake Devonshire \u2014 a charming lakeside hotel in Prince Edward County, Ont., that\u2019s been nearly booked solid since it opened in 2014 \u2014 and, more recently, the Commissary. As for Drake One Fifty, a popular brasserie in Toronto\u2019s Financial District, Stober was first attracted to the York Street structure itself. \u201cIt was a weird, badly architected building from the late \u201970s. I loved the opportunity of deconstructing it with our interpretation of postmodernism,\u201d he says, adding that a nearby all-day bar, Drake Minibar, will launch in the fall. \u201cOpening here was an unexpected move. I love going against the grain.\u201d<\/p>\n

Indeed, Stober has built a career breaking new ground. More than a decade ago, he understood what few at the time knew \u2014 that true luxury in hospitality isn\u2019t about high-thread-count bedding or caviar facials but, rather, a sense of community. \u201cThe flip side to being beholden to our tech devices is craving human interaction. Everyone has branded themselves with Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, but the desire is still there to have personal interactive experiences,\u201d says this former tech exec who now eschews social media (the Drake, on the other hand, has a strong online presence).<\/p>\n

This mode of thinking explains why each of Stober\u2019s projects has a real community feel to it; he\u2019s fascinated by what he calls a live\/work\/play ecosystem. \u201cA hotel is a community of strangers under one communal roof on a given night, where the hotel door is a metaphor for what lurks beyond,\u201d he explains. \u201cIf you walk into any Drake destination, there\u2019s a busy lunch hour, cocktail hour, dinner hour. But now we see people lingering in the afternoon, having a coffee or a glass of wine while doing their work. They\u2019re using it as a de facto office space and it makes perfect sense \u2014 we all need to be part of a human experience.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>
<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

Stober and his team, which includes John Tong of design studio +tongtong, have developed a trademark look that incorporates natural materials (raw wood, marble, cork), warm brass, green leather, one-off vintage furniture pieces and the ubiquitous one-arm stool. The spaces share a common design theme that can be described as eclectic, postmodern, cozy, chic and, most of all, timeless. There\u2019s also a nod to nostalgia interwoven throughout, evidenced by \u201950s-inspired custom photo booths and, at Drake Devonshire, a games room replete with ping-pong table and backgammon boards (in the summer, guests can roast marshmallows over an open fire pit). \u201cThere\u2019s a curious culture seeker in each of us, but clearly an inner child in each of us, too,\u201d says Stober of his properties\u2019 playful touches, like whimsical hand-stitched dolls in every room and, for adults-only getaways, a sex-toy menu.<\/p>\n

On a personal level, Stober sees no distinction between work and play \u2014 and he wouldn\u2019t have it any other way. \u201cThere\u2019s no such thing in my life as a full workday or leisure day. I\u2019m always engaged in everything that I do. I practise yoga, I spin, I work out. I love walking, I love cooking, I love wine. I love being around my friends. I love researching all the things I have an interest in \u2014 travel, culture, food, interior design, architecture.\u201d For Stober, inspiration comes from all facets of daily life, especially travel. He\u2019s racked up countless mileage points flying to New York, where he owns a loft in SoHo, and art fairs such as Venice Biennale and Art Basel. Earlier this year, he spent two weeks in Tulum, Mexico. \u201cI wasn\u2019t going there as a work trip, but I did come back feeling very inspired,\u201d recalls Stober, who, upon returning home, quickly added a new type of tequila and mole sauce to his menu. \u201cThere are always interesting opportunities to learn and grow in every trip.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\"\"<\/div>\n

It\u2019s during these travels that Stober collects much of the memorabilia in his cherished three-ring binder. Since 2001, around the time that he purchased the Drake Hotel, Stober has been collecting cut-outs of things that interest him \u2014 ranging from street art, fashion and food to pop-up galleries, museums, art parties, poetry slams and menus, even vending machines and Do not disturb signs (think of it as the original Pinterest board). \u201cI looked through the binder recently; it was still so timely and relevant,\u201d notes Stober. He also goes old-school when it comes to scheduling, preferring a leatherbound Day-Timer to iCal. \u201cI\u2019ve used the same system for nearly 20 years. It\u2019s way more compatible to me in that you\u2019re doodling, you\u2019re writing things down, crossing things out. You\u2019re making notes. It\u2019s a personal diary of that year.\u201d (He has a Day-Timer collection dating back to 2002.)<\/p>\n

Part of what makes Stober so interesting \u2014 and successful \u2014 is this juxtaposition of old and new. He has an ability to predict and even help shape the next big trend, and yet, he admits he\u2019s never collected email nor used the browser on his phone (an old-model BlackBerry). And it\u2019s not from lack of know-how. Stober prefers to live in the moment, finding solace in flying, for instance, because it\u2019s one of the few ways in which to disconnect (he was somewhat uneasy when Wi-fi was on offer during a recent Lufthansa flight). And while he\u2019s helping to transform different pockets of downtown Toronto into major culture destinations, he lives in a quiet uptown neighbourhood and is most comfortable hanging with buddies or greeting his eighty something parents at early Saturday-night dinners at the Drake Hotel (\u201cThey love seeing the hustle and bustle.\u201d).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"\"<\/div>\n

One thing that remains a constant in Stober\u2019s life is his unwavering curiosity. \u201cI obsess over why people are looking for that hospitable, comfortable, democratic environment like the Drake, which I saw as a pushback to technology,\u201d he says. \u201cMuch like an artist or photographer, I\u2019m a bit of an outsider who observes [life] through a lens. I tend to do that, as well as actively participate. I really love being engaged and stirring the pot.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

By Shawna Cohen – *This article originally appeared in INSIGHT: The Art of Living | Fall 2017<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Photos by: <\/span>Michael Graydon, Kayla Rocca<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It may sound eccentric, but \u201cgastronomic town square\u201d is how 58-year-old Drake Hotel\u2019s founder, Jeff Stober, explains his latest venture, Drake Commissary. Housed in a former manufacturing building in Toronto\u2019s up-and-coming Junction Triangle district, it boasts a coffeehouse-meets-cocktail-lounge vibe. Here, depending on the time of day, you might find neighbouring artists munching on made-from-scratch scones, or time-starved parents grabbing a quinoa-salad lunch while stocking up on staples such as fresh bread and jam (artisanal, no less). Or you could bump into the post-work crowd commiserating, celebrating or decompressing over a glass of ros\u00e9 and charcuterie board.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":31,"featured_media":14311,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[394],"tags":[8,409,423,483,587,588,589,590],"class_list":["post-14304","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-insight-magazine","tag-toronto","tag-insight-magazine","tag-insight","tag-insight-the-art-of-living","tag-the-drake","tag-vision-quest","tag-toronto-hotels","tag-toronto-bars"],"yoast_head":"\nVISION QUEST | INSIGHT: The Art of Living<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The driving force behind the Drake (hip hangouts, not the rapper), Jeff Stober continues to make his mark by going against the grain.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, 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