Karen Tuff, co-owner of Trio Bistro and Lounge, poses for a photo. Photo courtesy of Karen Tuff.
Karen Tuff said that she and her sister, Patti Tuff, had been trying to find something that they could do together. Because the sisters held a 10 year age gap between them, they grew up at different times and didn’t have the chance to share experiences together. So when Karen moved to Ottawa, where her sister was living, they saw it as an opportunity to do just that.
“We wanted to do something together to create a common ground,” said Karen.
Patti’s husband, John Kiiffner, has been in the restaurant industry for most of his career. He was working at Trio Bistro and Lounge when its then owners decided they wanted to move on, said Karen. Patti called Karen to see if she’d want to do that. Karen said yes.
“We were like, ‘We like it. We feel we can contribute. John already works there. Let’s do it.'”
Karen said she and Patti were interested in making Trio their shared project not only because John was already part of the business, but also that the sisters had their own personal connection to it.
“It was actually somewhere that I went. So if we wanted to go out for a drink, we would go to Trio and we liked it. It’s small. It’s cozy, it has a nice vibe. It has local artists, the cocktails are great. We had no hesitation,” Karen said. They took over Trio in 2016 and have been running it since.
Karen said Trio’s atmosphere sets it apart from other restaurants and bars. That atmosphere is created through a blend of the interior decor, the music, and the space itself.
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“It’s very small, so it’s intimate,” she said, noting that it’s a hot spot for first dates and girls’ night outs.
The bistro achieves its laid-back, immersive atmosphere through its music as well, said Karen. John and his colleagues curate custom playlists to be played in Trio. “If you look online at the reviews, people go, ‘I love the music,'” she said.
Trio has always treated its interior as a gallery to display artwork from local artists, she said. “They do really well… Because our place is small, it’s really featured.”
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And of course, Trio is distinctly Trio for its food and drink, said Karen.
For those interested in a well-made drink, Trio Bistro and Lounge specializes in individually handcrafted cocktails, she said.
The bistro also serves a time-tested shareables menu, featuring options like cheese boards, fish tacos and crispy new potatoes.
“We will never get rid of the apricot hummus that’s made in-house, because everybody says it’s the best,” she said.
A Whiskey Sour cocktail sits on a table in front of the bar, at Trio Bistro and Lounge. Photo courtesy of Trio Bistro and Lounge.
Even after listing all the bistro’s virtues, Karen said to understand Trio is to go and experience it. “Just come in, you’ll get it.”
To learn more about Trio Bistro and Lounge, you can visit their website, Facebook and Instagram!
