Rapscallion is back and other Hamilton business news this week
Keeping the lights on at Modo
Modo Yoga Hamilton, with locations in Dundas and on the Stoney Creek Mountain, is slowly but surely pulling itself out of some deep COVID trouble.
Last week, owners Elda Giardetti and Tara Hansen-Rix sent an email to members that said opening back up at 10 people per class - all that is currently allowed - wouldn't cover the bills, which have been piling up.
We cannot stay closed as we no longer receive rent assistance ... We cannot heat the room or the building for (the class fees of nine people), never mind paying a teacher.
The only help we have received are loans we need to pay back. We are on the line to lose our houses, and everything we own that is worth anything. This is an exhausting prospect."
The business opened last Wednesday, but was only accepting paid drop-ins" - as opposed to prepaid classes or passes - until Tuesday. The decision got some blowback from members, but has allowed the studio to recoup enough money that it can now accept all forms of membership.
Thank you all for supporting us, helping us get here and for your patience!" the owners wrote in an email to studio members.
That Rapscallion is back at it
Rapscallion & Co., helmed by chef Matt Kershaw, opened for indoor dining on Friday. The meat-focused restaurant - an amalgam of restaurants Rapscallion Rogue Eatery and Two Black Sheep - is located at 176 James St. N., the former home of the now-closed Ventura's Signature Restaurant. Seating is reservations-only: email gm@rapandco.ca.
The restaurant has also been offering its version of fancy takeout: the Comfort Kitchen. The weekly pre-ordered feast - available Fridays and Saturdays - includes two meal options at different price points, including dessert. The portions are BIG (enough for two, generously!)," stated the restaurant in a recent email. There is also a new pre-order cocktail each week, with recent offerings including the Raspberry Mambo, the Lycheetini and a Maker's Mark Old Fashioned.
Ready for liftoff
Mohawk College has launched a new aviation training facility aimed at filling a skills gap in the industry, and will partner with related businesses to research solutions to their problems. The Mohawk Aviation Centre opened Feb. 9. The 75,000-square-foot facility, located in a hangar at John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport, includes a Boeing 737 NG virtual maintenance training system - a first for a Canadian college - and 10 simulator seats, the largest number of any training centre in North America.
The programs offered at the facility focus on aircraft maintenance, aircraft structure, and avionics maintenance.
The facility also includes a space dedicated to joint research projects with local companies looking to address a technical issue with their products or operations, says college spokesperson Bill Steinburg.
Build up your pizza stash
Toronto's General Assembly Pizza is now offering its pizza subscription - allegedly the world's first - in Hamilton. The GA Pizza Club delivers stacks of four to 10 pizzas to its customers' homes every four weeks, starting at $39 per order and $9 per pizza.
At 10 inches in diameter, all GA pizzas are personal pizzas, which lends itself to a tidy freezer footprint," state the company's marketing materials. GA's premium frozen pizzas require no kitchen preparation and cook in just five to seven minutes in a conventional oven or grilled on the BBQ."
General Assembly says its pizzas are made with naturally-leavened sourdough. Vegetarian, vegan and meat-topped pizzas are available. More information is available at gapizza.com.
Email news from your business or your neighbourhood to open.closed.biz@gmail.com.