With Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour taking over Toronto for two straight weekends (or a little less than a fortnight), hospitality staff across the city are bracing themselves for over . And with many fans struggling to secure tickets, there is plenty of Taylor around the city, from the to fun cocktails to help Swifties bask in her afterglow.
“This is going to be a collective celebration not just at the Rogers Centre but across the city, and we will get to play a small part,” said Liza McWilliams, Director of Marketing at 1Hotel Toronto.
are a real thing. The Eras tour is estimated to generate , with 93 per cent coming from non-residents. Swifties are descending upon Toronto from across the globe, and with that, hotels and restaurants are doing their part to make for an enjoyable stay.
Jane Suh, Director of Restaurant Operations at the Oliver & Bonacini Hospitality group, includes Aera, located at Front and Spadina near the Rogers Centre, where Swift will perform. The location is already busy, but with the global superstar’s arrival, the restaurant says it will join the fun.
“We had guests booking months in advance, one or two months – and the buzz has continued. Given our proximity, we felt like we needed to get in, and it’s almost a fun dad joke,” said Suh.
To simplify things, they have created a prix-course menu called ‘The Aeras Tour’, a play on the words of Swift’s tour name. Many dishes are named after things that Swift is attached to or commonly known for. From the cheeseburger dubbed the ‘Kelce Classic’ after her NFL star tight-end boyfriend Travis Kelce to the ‘22’, a double-cheese macaroni named after some iconic lyrics, the restaurant is playing into Taylor lore.
“Music is an important part of hospitality, about creating the right ambiance, getting people happy and excited, and making them feel comfortable. So basing things around Taylor allows her fans and non-fans to get in on the fun, whether you can afford a ticket or not,” Suh said.
Preparations have been underway for months at the 1Hotel Toronto for the transformation of their restaurant, the Flora Lounge, into the Folklore Lounge, named after Swift’s eighth studio album.
“We just had a fascinating opportunity to dream up some ideas that tapped into the excitement that the concerts and Taylor Swift will bring to the city,” said
The lobby already resembled her album artwork, but it will be even more nature-inspired. It will feature a grand piano covered in moss, tapestries hanging from the wall with lyrics from the Folklore album, and small Easter eggs throughout. But that’s not all. They’ll also have an instructor-led dance class and, if you want to sit down, mocktails and cocktails for guests to enjoy.
“We want to have those finer details that fans appreciate. We’ll have a friendship bracelet popup with ,” said McWilliams.
McWilliams noted that it has been months of work. She’s been studying what works in Indianapolis, Miami, Seattle, and other locations, trying to figure out how best to approach these two weekends.
“I love to sort of look and see what other cities are doing, and that provided some guidance. Everything from the mom-and-pop shops to the larger brands to what other hotels are doing,” she said.
Toronto Raptors vs. Taylor Swift: Why the singer tops the 2019 championship run frenzy
To Suh, the Eras Tour allows Toronto businesses to capitalize on this potential once-in-a-lifetime spotlight in a unique way.
“It’s a niche kind of marketing, but you can decide how much you want to dive into it,” she said.
She noted that venues compete to be the places the Swifties want to go, so they are trying things to get them in the door.
“We’re always in competition with others, but the fact is, we can all offer something a little different,” said Suh. “We’re telling our late-night DJs on Thursday, Friday, and Saturdays to incorporate more Taylor Swift and get the people excited.”
While the city has previously experienced many fans gathering in the downtown core – most notably the Toronto Raptors run for the NBA championship in 2019 – this is different, according to Suh.
“It’s unique because you knew this was happening for a while. Playoff runs that happen in a second, you don’t have that same level of anticipation; everything moves quickly. We’ve known about this for months, and it’s a big, giant build-up.”
The 1Hotel has been fully booked for months leading up to Swift’s arrival, but the extra activations are an opportunity to deliver value to guests and potential customers.
“It’s an incredible opportunity on the tourism part and allows the hospitality industry to have an opportunity to shine and deliver value,” said McWilliams.
The Eras Tour is a primer for Toronto hosting the , where the city will host six matches featuring teams worldwide. But McWilliams noted that this is also an opportunity for the city and hospitality to showcase that they are amongst the best in the world and deserving of more tourism and large events.
“We’ve got the World Cup on our radar, but in terms of fandom, it’s hard to compare this to anything. It feels like she’s tapped into something special, and Toronto will become a destination. Hopefully, this will be an opportunity to host more events of this nature,” she said.