Three months after opening its doors at 128 Queens Quay East, Ethos Climbing has established itself as more than just a fitness facility—it’s become a genuine community hub that validates the “social fitness” concept founder Alejandro Aquino envisioned when 6ixRetail first toured the pre-opening facility in May.
In an exclusive follow-up interview with 6ixRetail, Operations and Marketing Manager Kate Simola shared insights into how the waterfront bouldering gym has performed since its May 26 launch and what lessons the experience offers for experiential retail operators in Toronto’s competitive landscape.
“The reception has been so warm, which has been awesome. Nothing but positive feedback, really great,” Simola reported. “We have a bunch of committed members, all of our founding members, which is the scale we had before we opened, sticking with us long term.”
The gym’s early success stems from converting pre-opening interest into loyal, long-term memberships. Founding members have become brand ambassadors, with Simola noting significant growth through referrals and the facility’s guest pass program. “Lots of people are bringing friends and new members out, and then they’re coming in to do their own memberships,” she explained. “Same with our two-week trial—lots of people tried it out and are now coming in as full-time members, which is awesome.”
This organic growth pattern reflects a broader trend in experiential retail where authentic community building outperforms traditional marketing approaches. Ethos has maintained member interest through regular programming and route changes that create urgency and repeatability. The gym resets two new sections every week, with routes coming down on Sundays.
“We are not open until 4pm on Monday and Tuesday every week for our wall reset,” Simola said.
This strategy addresses a key challenge for climbing facilities: keeping experienced members engaged despite limited physical space. The regular resets, combined with a massive Kilter Board offering thousands of route combinations, ensure members don’t outgrow the facility.
The student demographic has emerged as a significant growth driver, with Ethos launching its student pass special offering 4-month semester memberships for $340—representing 4 months of climbing for less than the price of 3 regular monthly memberships. “Students will be coming in from George Brown, and we’ve got a couple of climbing clubs from a bunch of universities across the city who’ve inquired about coming in here as their home gym, which is awesome,” Simola noted. The promotion runs until September 7th and requires valid proof of enrollment.
The gym’s “home away from home” concept has materialized exactly as planned, with members treating the space as a co-working environment that generates additional revenue through coffee sales and extended facility usage. “Part of our mission is home away from home, and it’s awesome to see our members feeling like that,” Simola explained. “Day passes get used for the whole day, so if you buy a day pass, you can hang out all day long, eat your lunch, and do your work here.”
This model particularly resonates during morning hours, when members combine work sessions with climbing breaks. The strategy creates multiple revenue touchpoints beyond membership fees while building stronger facility attachment—a crucial factor for experiential retail success in premium urban locations.
The waterfront location with extensive glass frontage continues to drive walk-in traffic and brand awareness, with the natural light serving as the key differentiator Aquino emphasized during our pre-opening tour. “People are thrilled about the windows and the view of Sugar Beach. They’re really excited to climb in the sunshine,” Simola confirmed.
The visibility factor has proven particularly valuable for attracting newcomers to the sport, with approximately 50% of member interactions focused on explaining climbing basics and route reading—a level of education that suggests successful market expansion beyond existing climbers.
Looking ahead to fall and winter, when Toronto’s waterfront becomes less appealing due to wind and cold, Ethos expects membership growth rather than decline. “Climbing gyms are actually really popular, especially in the winter season, in the fall season,” Simola explained. “In the summertime, lots of climbers are out doing outdoor climbing. So we actually expect to have an uptick in membership and day passes in the fall and winter as something fun to do indoors.”
This counter-seasonal pattern provides revenue stability that many waterfront businesses lack during harsh weather months. The facility has also attracted attention from destination marketing organizations and corporate event planners, with visits from Waterfront BIA representatives and Destination Toronto officials exploring partnership opportunities.
On the digital front, Ethos has developed an authentic online presence focused on member spotlights and educational content rather than traditional gym marketing. “We’re so grateful to see so much engagement with our Instagram – our main communication channel,” Simola said. “We share new sets, upcoming events and giveaways, new products, and of course our regular members sending their projects.”
Three months into operation, Ethos Climbing demonstrates several principles that translate across experiential retail categories: building genuine relationships drives both retention and referrals, regular content refresh creates repeat visits and urgency, designing spaces for multiple uses beyond the primary activity increases revenue per customer, and taking an educational approach with newcomers expands market reach beyond existing enthusiasts.
As Toronto’s experiential retail landscape continues evolving, Ethos Climbing’s early success suggests that businesses prioritizing genuine community building over pure transaction volume can establish sustainable competitive advantages in premium urban locations.
For more information about Ethos Climbing, visit ethosclimbing.ca or follow @ethosclimbinggym on Instagram.
Dustin Fuhs is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of 6ix Retail, Toronto’s premier source for retail and hospitality industry news. As the former Editor-in-Chief of Retail Insider, Canada’s most-read retail trade publication, Dustin brings over two decades of expertise spanning retail, marketing, entertainment and hospitality sectors. His experience includes leadership roles with industry giants such as The Walt Disney Company, The Hockey Hall of Fame, Starbucks and Blockbuster.
Recognized as a RETHINK Retail Top Retail Expert in 2024 and 2025, Dustin delivers insider perspectives on Toronto’s evolving retail landscape, from emerging brands to established players reshaping the city’s commercial districts.