Up for a game of “wiff-waff” on a Saturday night?
Ryan Fisher is.
He’s the driving force behind SPiN Toronto, a ping-pong bar set to open in August in the heart of the city’s nightlife action at 461 King St. W. near Spadina Avenue.
The long-time ping-pong fan says he was looking for a spot to play in Toronto when he stumbled across the website for SPiN New York.
“Seeing as I had always wanted to open something similar, I got in touch with the team in New York,” Fisher said. “And well, the rest is history — in the making.”
Though the game that was born in the 1800s requires only a ball, a table and a couple of rackets, Fisher said SPiN will offer much more.
“We will feature a really cool private room — perfect for a group of 20 or so — two bars, a cocktail menu created by some of the best mixologists in the city, along with a simple, quality food menu,” he said. “There will also be change rooms, 12 ping-pong tables on Olympic-quality flooring, high-quality lighting and the best service in town.”
SPiN, which counts Academy Award-winner Susan Sarandon among its founding partners, can be found in Milwaukee along with the New York and soon-to-open Toronto locations, with another set to open this summer in St. Petersburg, Fla.
“Toronto is a great place for SPiN for a lot of reasons,” Fisher said. “We are multicultural — ping-pong is the most worldwide sport next to soccer — we are open to new concepts and ideas, and we are completely ready and willing for a new, unique place to spend time.
“Young people are bored and looking for something to make them feel alive again. We hope to bring them something that can make them feel that way.”
It works for him, he said.
“Ping-pong brings me complete joy and clears my mind of anything and everything,” Fisher said. “It’s a perfect place to hibernate, mentally, at least for a little while.”