Katherine Gregory travelled the world with her Toronto financial services company and developed her love for fine food, champagne and home décor.
When she sold her company two years ago, she was "too young to retire" so she followed her heart.
"I thought, 'What do I like to do? I like to shop, I like to eat and I like to drink' so I put it all together," Gregory said.
She opened Katherine's Château in Collingwood last December. In French style, the Château is both a bistro and a home décor boutique.
"This concept of doing two things, a boutique and a wine bar is very common in Europe," Gregory said.
Karim Morgan, the managing director of Katherine's Chateau, was Gregory's administrative assistant at her company and got on board with the new business because they are both aficionados of fine food and drink.
"Katherine had this idea years ago where she'd like to have a place where people can go and relax and hang out with family and friends and create experiences. The concept is experiential retail," said Morgan.
Gregory also sees the Château as a place to seize the day.
"One thing we learned from COVID is why can't every day be something special. Why do we have to wait for an event?" she said.
Katherine's Château is celebrating its first anniversary Dec. 1.
"It's been a great first year, although it's slow getting people to know we are here," Gregory said.
The venue at 243 Ste. Marie St. is a designated historic home. The red-brick home has an inviting wrap-around porch and offers dedicated parking.
"I love the space and the history of the building," she said.
But it needed work. Gregory rebuilt the outdoor stone patio to create an outdoor summer dining area, planted gardens and installed two French fountains.
"The patio was a huge success," said Gregory.
The original home houses the boutique's three décor spaces, the floral area, the kitchen decor and the dining decor room. The addition built in the 1990s is the dining area for lunch, high tea and dinner. It underwent renovation including removing a wall, replacing the flooring and redoing the bathrooms. The hallway is a gallery space for local artists.
The elegantly decorated dining room seats up to 35 people. A re-purposed antique door was installed, so that two private dining areas can be created. Gregory can also expand dining into the décor shop to provide seating for up to 60.
The bistro has two chefs and a pastry chef. The winter menu has launched which includes cheese fondue. High tea in the bistro is a hit.
"We have a traditional high tea, but for winter, we have launched a premium tea. We put some warm things in like crab puffs. Our scones and clotted cream are made by our pastry chef," Gregory said.
Entrées start at $30 and always include a beef, a veal and chicken dish. Charcuterie is the most popular small plate, priced at $42.
Champagne flights invented by the team are a unique offering. The flight consists of four champagne classes; one champagne, one white sparkling wine, one cava and a rosé sparkling wine for $42.
Beer is sourced locally from Quayle's Brewery, but the extensive wine list is predominantly sourced from Europe.
"Karim spent months building up the wine list. We put a lot of effort into it. I'm a foodie, he's a foodie," said Gregory.
The building of the business is a journey and constant path of discovery, Gregory said. Customers have been asking for a bar, so she will get one designed and installed in 2025.
Katherine's Chateau is open Tuesday and Wednesday noon to 8 p.m., Thursday and Friday noon to 9 p.m., Saturday noon to 10 p.m. and is closed Sunday and Monday. For more information call 249-8820159 or visit its website: katherineschateau.com.
