Chances are that if you’re heading out to shop for clothes, get a haircut and enjoy a shot of your favourite spirit or a cup of coffee and snack, you’ll find yourself strolling along a sidewalk.
However, when you come to 117 Spring Street it’s all in front of you.
A bar, a barber’s chair and displays of men’s clothing greet you as you open the doors to Forty-Five Social.
The simple, elegant way this eclectic mix comes together is what leaves an impression.
It’s what co-owner Michael Flammia said he and his partners were looking for when they built Forty-Five Social, downtown Sault Ste Marie’s newest business, which opened Monday.
The simple drinks include beer and spirits straight up. The clothes are European from designers in places such as Italy and Denmark.
Flammia wants patrons to “get back to that very simple, spiritual moment everybody searches for.”
Having a pub, clothing store and barber shop in one space may be a unique concept for the city, but similar operations exist elsewhere.
“I don’t think we invented the wheel,” said Flammia. “When we looked around there wasn’t a lot of these places in the Sault, specifically for men. You can get all these things, but not in one space.”
The concept began as a conversation over dinner involving Flammia, his wife Sue, Robby Calvano and his wife Tara. The four all have a part in the business.
The COVID situation was improving and it was the first time out in a while for the couples. The conversation just flowed, recalled Flammia.
“We were saying what about this, what about that, what would the name be? It turned into an awesome idea,” he said.
Flammia and Calvano each have areas of expertise.
“Food is something that I am very familiar with,” said Flammia, who has worked in the hospitality industry and owns the city’s three Little Caesar’s franchises. He said clothing has been Robby’s passion forever.
And passion is the key.
“To pursue your passion and seek your higher purpose in life,” is the mission statement of 45-Social. It’s engraved on a candle that Flammia pointed out during the interview.
“For the four of us, that’s kind of what drives us internally,” said Flammia.
Though they’ve been open less than a week, Flammia said response from the community has been extremely positive.
“It’s been super energizing,” he said.
Flammia stresses that Forty-Five Social is a place where everyone (men and women) is welcome to do some shopping or simply to have a drink and snacks with friends.
And what about all the statistics about restaurant failure and COVID’s impact on hospitality and retail? Any doubts?
“I don’t think we look at it that way,” said Flammia. “Lots of things are scary. We think we came up with a really great idea, but ultimately we’ll be judged on how we execute. We put together a great team and we have all the confidence in the world in the work we’ve done.”
At the moment, the team consists of 10 employees, including those at LucyRo beauty which is located in the same building. Flammia describes it as the sister store run by Sue and Tara.