As the weather, leaves, and construction habits start to change in Centretown, so do the offerings at our beloved businesses. Fall marks a time of year when everything shifts. Fresh and bright becomes warm and cozy, and everyone knows it’s time for a change! A date on the calendar may be what “officially” tells us it’s fall, but watching menus and events change to fit the season is what truly lets us know it’s time to get ready for the seasonal festivities.
We asked some of our local businesses to share with us their plans for the shift, and here is what we discovered.
Red Apron - 410 Gladstone Ave
For those of you who aren’t familiar with Red Apron, this locally owned, woman owned business strives to create delicious meals for pick-up and takeout using the freshest local ingredients.Their partnerships with farmers in the Ottawa area and commitment to bettering the community shines both on and off the menu. This fall, the lovely folks at Red Apron are stepping up their community involvement through some unique season themed fundraisers and offerings.
From October 15-29, Red Apron is hosting a pumpkin carving contest in support of the Centretown Community Food Centre. Entering is simple! Just pop by the store and donate for a pumpkin (they suggest a $10 donation). Take your pumpkin home, carve it to your liking, and post it on Instagram or facebook while tagging @theredapronottawa! The winner will receive a $50 RA giftcard. The contest aims to help multiple people who need it to have 3-4 days worth of groceries!
Didn’t win the pumpkin carving contest? No worries if you have a dog who likes to strut its stuff! On October 29th, Red Apron is hosting a doggy costume contest on their patio. The winner will receive a $25 RA gift card, but the real winners will be all of us seeing puppies in costumes.
Lastly (because the Red Apron clearly loves Halloween as much as we do), you can enjoy some Halloween themed bakery treats in the days leading up to Halloween as well! Pop in to see what they’re baking up!
Chimnies - 117 Bank St
Do you know what area of the culinary world thrives during the fall? The dessert world. The possibilities are endless when it comes to fall themed desserts and the wonderful people at Chiminies on Bank St. know that.
Their speciality is Chimney cakes – a sweet, classically Hungarian, coiled yeast bread cake that becomes a beautiful canvas for pastry artists to use at will. These gorgeous cakes along with other pastries, ice cream, and a coffee program are what makes Chiminies a Centretown staple.
So what’s new for fall?
Well, the most exciting part is the launch of their brand new dine-in space! All of the Chimnies love without having to wait until you get home to enjoy it! The official Grand Opening of their new space will be November 9th!
Some of the new items you can enjoy this fall in their dine in space are pretty cool too!
What sticks out to us is their hot chocolate and gourmet marshmallow latte. A cross between sweet, cozy, and caffeinated to keep you going on a crisp fall day.
Not to mention their spooky Halloween promotions! From October 29-31 all beverages will be served by a seasonal monster hand. And don’t miss their October 31 festivities – their Haunted Hallway sounds absolutely spooktacular, and anyone who comes in costume will get free chocolate made specially in-house by their Chocolatier live in their display window.
They’ll also have some special promos going on for fall – so be sure to check their socials @chimnies.ottawa for details about new, special items and exciting events for fall!
We could spend all day talking about Chiminies, but you should just check them out for yourself!
The Royal Oak - 188 Bank St
Sometimes a fall menu isn’t in the scope for a business, but one celebration that always seems to shine through is Halloween. One of, if not the most underrated holidays of the year, Halloween seems to bring out the spooky best in businesses all across the city.
That sentiment is no different for the Centretown Royal Oak, who will be hosting a Halloween Karaoke!
There isn’t much to say about this other than great costumes and even better vibes will be paired with the music stylings of you and your friends while you sip and munch on some Royal Oak classics. Check out this unique way to spend your Halloween.
Flora Hall - 37 Flora St
Raise your hand if you like BEER! Now raise your other hand if you like new local releases! Well Flora Hall is bringing you both this fall!
The wonderful microbrewery we’ve all grown to love has released two new brews and has two more on the way before winter begins.
The Fresh Hop Extra Pale Ale is a seasonal brew that uses freshly harvested Centennial and Vista hops from Stone Hedges hop yard in the Ottawa Valley. This is a limited release using seasonal ingredients so get your hands on it while you can!
The Foeder Aged Imperial Chocolate Stout is a strong beer! Coming in at 10.2% ABV, it’s a pint designed to warm the soul as the weather gets cooler. The rich and big bodied brew is aged for one year in oak foeders, then conditioned on vanilla beans and cocoa nibs for a bitter sweet addition to the flavour profile.
Come November you can expect two more exciting beers to try! A Belgian Dubbet and Aged Margarita Gose (the award winning Aged Margarita Gose at that!)
Along with seasonal changes to their food menu, Flora Hall is bringing the heat this fall with their incredible new offerings. This is a shift you don’t want to miss!
Fall is an incredible season, an unfortunately short one, but incredible nonetheless! Despite its short-lived nature, the wonderful businesses of Centretown are bringing you incredible shifts and offerings all fall long, and we can’t wait to hear what you have to say about them!
Love,
Centretown
Author: Jordan Pizzuti
October 23, 2025
