5 Duke of Cornwall Dr. Markham ON [email protected]

Clinton and Yvette Webster probably have the coolest name for a business in the city of Newton — The Thunderdome — but what is even more impressive is their dedication and willingness to try something new, something risky, something trendy or something so out there even they doubt whether the idea will stick.

Which is what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur these days. Newton Development Corporation recognized the Websters’ enterprising spark during the annual Salute to Business and Industry Luncheon on Oct. 13 at DMACC Newton Campus, presenting the couple with the Jim Tyler Entrepreneurial Award.

The Websters got their first taste of entrepreneurship with their wedding venue in Runnells. Known as Baqara, the venue opened in 2015 and has since hosted more than 300 weddings. The two eventually got their hands on Newton’s old roller skating rink, renovating it to Baqara Coliseum and then The Thunderdome.

“We did about $300,000 on the original renovation to get a new furnace, new AC, redo the floors, try to clean up the ceiling because it was exposed to bad insulation, all new electrical, updated plumbing, the whole she-bang,” Clinton said. “Did the outdoor space with a lot of pavement to do outdoor weddings.”

At the NDC luncheon, Clinton said the initial wedding venue in Runnells morphed into multiple other ideas and projects. Some worked out. Some didn’t.

But those that didn’t work out served as a learning experience for the Websters or served as a base for a completely new project altogether. They didn’t give up. When Baqara Coliseum’s wedding venue was not picking up business like it should, the Websters began to think outside the box.

They partnered with Dave Makin, president and creative director of marketing company Nexus 6, to develop The Thunderdome. Clinton said the concept of the facility was to provide food, drink and entertainment. Within The Thunderdome business umbrella are other entities that provide those amenities.

Revel & Rind was introduced as a high-end cocktail lounge that eventually began serving pizzas and appetizers, which morphed into Bistro 55. Of course, that idea evolved, too, as Bistro 55 not only provides food for guests at Revel & Rind but also offers catering outside the facility.

“Between the catering and the food that we do at our facility, we’re now doing brunch buffets Sunday mornings from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and then in November we’ll start doing supper club on Tuesday evenings — kind of a higher end supper for that evening,” Clinton said.

With so much space at their disposal, the Websters have the luxury to venture out even further. The Thunderdome offers the ValHalla Sports & Gaming Lounge, which is packed with axe throwing, ping pong tables and cornhole boards. League tournaments are even held at the facility, bringing more people to town.

“Really starting to focus on the rec area portion of this,” Clinton said, noting he and Yvette are also offering toast snacks at the Toast Post and snow cones with the Mr. Everest Shaved Ice at The Thunderdome. “…All these things that we can try to give back to the community in terms of the different demographics.”

Contact Christopher Braunschweig at 641-792-3121 ext 560 or at [email protected]

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