August 26, 2010
As mentioned in an earlier post, Club Toronto, which is a 122-year-old historical building, has been transformed into a swingers club.
It will be relaunched as the Oasis Aqualounge, catering to "sexually adventurous" straight couples and single women.
Says new owner Toni Johnson (seen below)
"I'm really excited to be in this neighborhood. The establishment is magnificent. It's one of so few historical places remaining, to see it with the baseboards and trim and stained glass," she says. "One of the defining things for me was that it has a pool and private courtyard. You just can't get that kind of thing downtown."
Toni Johnson also adds that the new space will be "a day and night club, almost like a resort, where you can have a drink and a bite and lounge by the poolside, socialize and dance."
"When I decided I wanted to invest in something, this was by no means my first thought," she says.
"It occurred to me that niche businesses do better since competition isn't as fierce, and a few years ago I did a lot of research counting heads and speaking to people about what they liked and what they didn't. And I decided this seems to be the business to be in."
"It's more of a fixer-upper than any real changes," says Johnson. "Floors, walls, electrical, new furniture. Outside where the pool is, what was originally a laundry room we decided to convert into a cabana bar that will serve people in the pool."
"Wicked [on Queen West] would be one of the closest, I would say, the difference being that it's only open nights. So we really want to cater to day crowds because there are lots of people who work nights, or they're tired."
While most bathhouses are open 24/7, Oasis Aqualounge will not. Their doors will be open from midday to late night, Thursdays to Sundays. If things go well Johnson says, look for the place to be open 24/7.
Official Oasis Aqualounge Facebook Page
