Real Sports Bar and Grill

Polyflor’s Expona portfolio selected to complement split-purpose, premium design for culinary and entertainment destination

Location: Toronto, Canada

Specifier: The Design Agency

Products used: Expona Commercial, Expona Simplay

Size: 9,902 sq ft

Year: 2019

 Real Sports Bar and Grill in Toronto has been refurbished into a modern culinary and entertainment destination, to appeal to a new demographic of music and food fans alongside its long-established customer base of sports enthusiasts. By using varying design themes and materials, the facility has been able to create unique experiences across two different spaces.

During the refit in 2019, the building – located beside Scotiabank Arena, home of the Toronto Raptors and Toronto Maple Leafs – was split into two distinct zones. One was a sports haven boasting a 100-ft bar and the city’s largest screen, while the second was an upscale lounge dedicated to fine dining with private spaces for hire.

The appointed interior design firm, The Design Agency’s priority was to use products which ensured the hub featured a refreshed aesthetic and functionality, without losing its much-loved heritage and style.

Having already used Polyflor’s products across previous fit outs and design schemes, The Design Agency was familiar with the variety of colour options available in the Expona ranges, as well as their high quality performance. Knowing its flooring portfolio would complement the split-purpose design of the space, Polyflor’s coverings were installed across the two zones.

Expona Commercial in Amber Classic Oak was fitted throughout the main dining space and communal areas, which required a certain element of bespoke fit out. One of the layout’s key features includes a 30ft-diameter bar, which acts as a centrepiece for the space, as well as its stage for live music, so the flexible capabilities offered by luxury vinyl tiles like Expona Commercial made it the perfect choice for this specification.

Featuring surface textures and high clarity design films to create the aesthetic of real wood, Expona Commercial also enabled the design team to create an upmarket finish across the scheme. With a wear layer of 0.55mm, the covering provided high durability, while its additional layer of polyurethane reinforcement meant it could be easily cleaned and maintained against high footfall.

Meanwhile, Expona Simplay in Black Ash was used in the building’s private spaces including VIP rooms and smaller suites. In the form of a loose lay luxury vinyl tile, Expona Simplay features a unique, non-skid honeycomb backing layer to ensure that tiles stay in position. It is also more resilient to uneven subfloors than alternative tiles, meaning less pre-installation prep is needed, making it quicker and easier to fit. Expona Simplay offers high durability and easy maintenance, and can also be easily uplifted and moved to be used elsewhere, making future renovations a more simple process. Perfectly replicating the beauty of natural wood, Expona Simplay was selected because it enabled designers to create a high-end feel within the exclusive spaces on offer.  

Michael Iamonaco, Regional Sales Manager for Polyflor Canada Inc, said: “Anyone living in or visiting Toronto knows of the Real Sports Bar and Grill and what it offers to the community, so the refit of the space needed to capture its sporting heritage as well as appear a more upmarket offering for dining.

“Having already worked together for several years, The Design Agency was aware of our levels of customer care and service, that our flooring options would bring its key ideas to life, and that they would also act as the perfect finishing touch to the whole scope of work.

“What’s been achieved is a multifunctional space, which caters for different users with different style concepts, all the while complementing each other brilliantly. We’re proud that the Expona ranges could help bring all of that together.”

Top benefits:

·        Contemporary aesthetics replicating natural wood

·        Highly durable – perfect for commercial settings

·        Developed using part recycled content for increased sustainability

·        Features a layer of polyurethane reinforcement for easy cleaning and maintenance