Last week’s Patio Friday was another fantastic day. With the imminent threat of rain in the forecast, our good friend Karin suggested the covered rooftop patio of The Pilot in Yorkville. To our oh-so-pleasant surprise the sun shone brightly over our afternoon and we lingered from noon or so until after six o’clock with some new and familiar faces.
I’ve always known that Toronto is a hotbed of business, technology and artistic talent and have had that insight tuned sharply over the past few weeks as Patio Friday has seen a steady rotation of engaging and bright people join us at the table for good food, beverages and lively conversations on life, love, and the world-at-large.
It’s not all fun and games though. Productivity can be pretty high when people are relaxed and with other like-minded folks. Prime example: the past few Patio Fridays have given the crew from Say Yeah great opportunities to hammer out ideas on some awesome projects with World Wide Web Foundation, TO Events Calendar, I Need Sugar Launch Party and more covert ops I’m sure will see the light of day over the Summer months. Hey, if you’ve got to work on a Friday afternoon, why not do it in the sunshine?
Last week’s conversations included the Iran election and the impact of social media on world politics, international import/ export of food products, urbanism and the impact of this shift on the economy, interpersonal dynamics, travel to Kenya, and new projects on the go including exciting stuff from @qasim, @shopcauses and @zoocasa. While the intent of Patio Friday is not to sell or promote any business, product or service, we can’t help but share the cool things we’re working on; we are, after all, a passionate community.
Those of you that aren’t able to join in the fun and meet these awesome people should still have the opportunity to know who joins us and what’s going on in the city. To this end we’re going to introduce you to the awesome people that sit at the table each week and offer a brief review of the restaurant. Consider this an expanded #followfriday supplement. If you’re not already following these fine people, check them out!
@SaulColt
Mayor of Twitter, Smartest Man in the World, Head of Magic ® at Zoocasa and graduate of the Handsome Boy.
Saul’s Blog.
@RJToronto
Displaced West Coast Buddhist hippie, advocating for refugees and human rights!
@MissVerna
Solutions Specialist at MSN TO. Sometimes I know what I’m doing. Sometimes I fake it. Happily married mom of 2!
@craigritchie
Web Strategist, Entrepreneur, Usability, Community and Social Media Builder. Generating and cultivating Big Ideas.
Craig’s site.
@thekarin
Fun, energetic, traveling foodie arty ENFJ trendhunter ninja at Cyberplex; into Advertising, Social Media and Strategic Planning. Travel, joy, design and film.
Karin’s blog.
@KevRichard
Recent Marketing Grad. Writer and analytical thinker. Interested in tech, social media and digital strategy.
Kevin’s blog.
@Qasim
Canadian web producer, audio visualist/ new media experimenter, dj, amateur chef and well, the list could go on forever…
Qasim’s site.
@CamDePutter
Consultant at Toronto PR agency. VP Marketing for local networking org CAWEE. Love great communications, cool business stuff, and food.
@Paul_Henman
Englishman living in Canada; scrum master / agile project manager; Linux geek; F1 fan; badminton player; photographer
Paul’s site.
@hyfen
The guy behind @torontoist, CUSEC co-Chair (student software conf), Varsity online editor, UofT computer science student, Ruby developer, cyclist, photographer
Andrew’s site.
@Merlene
One of the ElevenMoms, I’m a full-time Geekette and proud of it. One half of the TwestofTO team.
Merlene’s site.
@RandyMatheson
Toronto based Social Media Strategist, Interactive Designer and New Media Know-it-all at Delvinia Interactive. One half of the TwestofTO braintrust.
Randy’s site.
And last, but not least, the patio review. The Pilot is a great spot! It’s one of the few rooftop patios in the city – with the added benefit of retractable canopies for rainy days. The menu is chock full of tasty treats, the prices are reasonable and the staff is super friendly – even if slightly over-whelmed by a large group of people coming and going throughout an entire Friday afternoon. Check them out the next time you’re in Yorkville looking for a sunny meal and nice people.
Since early May we’ve spent time on patios in Kensington Market, St. Lawrence Market, Yorkville, and King St. West. Feel free to let us know if there’s a patio in the city you think we should check out or join you on. Ideal spots will be able to accommodate large groups and WiFi – western exposure for optimal Vitamin D is a big plus! Have laptops. Will travel.
Get in touch with us on twitter: @PatioFriday, @PaigeSaid or @leedaleyyz
Article originally published on Paige Freeborn’s Brands, Business, and Buzz Blog.
Photo courtesy of Kevin Richard.