Media types invade Ultra (Photo by Chloe Ellingson)
When Ultra Supper Club announced that it was relaunching under the name Ultra, it was hard to believe that much would change at the Queen West club. Sinking well over $500,000 into a facelift during a recession is gutsy, and by 7:30 last night, the club was packed with critics prepared to judge whether the investment had paid off.
The reno was still in the works (ladders and extension cord lined the entrance laneway) as photographers scurried to capture local celebrities, Fashion Television’s Glen Baxter and Canada’s Next Top Model judge Paul Venoit among them. It was a task made more difficult by the new partition screens and a communal table that now dominates the room.
By eleven o’clock, the screens had been raised and the music had become loud enough to mask the sound of glasses dropping from the hands of those who’d downed one too many. When the supply of free cocktails ran dry and the videographers called it a night, a crowd swarmed the dance floor.
In the midst of the commotion, we couldn’t quite remember what we were there for. Did Ultra’s relaunch reflect an identity make-over? Not exactly. The scene was like any Saturday night, and the $45 steak was still on the menu, despite its new (and apparently cheaper) Asian fusion theme. In the end, it seemed less like a launch and more like Ultra’s attempt to reinforce its presence on Toronto’s club scene.
Who cares about their “image”. The problem with Ultra is the lack of skill behind the bar and the crowd, not how well they pay their publicists and interior decorators.
August 27, 2009 at 2:36 pm | by SP