You don’t need a vacation to slow down, reconnect with your soul and experience aliveness. Beauty and meaning can be found in the little moments of everyday life.
Thirty-One Well Bar invites you to savour those simple moments—with a nourishing beverage in hand, something beautiful to discover, a new ritual to explore, or good company to share them with.
Kelsey Beesley and Paige Rauhut are the heart-led, purpose-driven co-owners who have created more than a café—a gathering place to pause and nurture your body, mind, and spirit.
Come for the sip. Stay for the experience.
“Here, you’ll find a thoughtfully curated collection of goods and experiences designed to inspire and bring a little more meaningfulness and joy to everyday life,” says Kelsey.
Enjoy a hot or iced matcha, beetroot latte, superfood smoothie, and protein-rich snack—all created to nourish you from the inside out.
“And there’s plenty to discover beyond the menu,” exclaims Paige.
Browse uplifting books, soy candles, greeting cards, tarot cards, jewellery, and feel-good accessories. Treat yourself to a little self-care with bath soaks, oils, incense and collagen masks. And don’t forget to join one of the fun workshops, or book your private gatherings for learning, making, connecting, or celebrating.
Kelsey and Paige encourage you to take your time, linger awhile and make your visit a moment to savour. After all, they didn’t arrive at this vision by accident. Their own journeys began with slowing down, looking inward and discovering what they wanted more of in their lives.
Two Journeys, One Vision: Searching for Aliveness
Kelsey and Paige’s story didn’t begin with a business plan. It began with two women on their individual journeys of self-discovery, asking bigger questions about what they wanted for their futures.
Kelsey, an Orillia hometown girl with a business and marketing background, worked at a Toronto advertising agency when she realized she was ready to rethink what life meant to her. “I had my own Eat, Pray, Love-style journey,” says Kelsey. “It became a period of self-discovery, reflection and imagining what I wanted my future to look like.”
Her journey of reconnecting with herself eventually led her back to Orillia, where she opened a metaphysical boutique named My Moon Collective in March 2020, with the goal of inspiring others to seek deeper meaning in life.
“I, on the other hand,” says Paige, “was a 15-year veteran of communications, with an intense passion for nutrition and recipes, since I had been experiencing some health issues for the past five years. I was well-versed in gut health, functional foods, self-care and mental well-being, and always dreamed of opening a healthy, protein snack shop.”
When Kelsey and Paige met through a family connection, they quickly realized they shared the same philosophy—that wellness doesn’t need to be stuffy or complex. “It’s simply about romanticizing the everyday,” says Kelsey. “It’s about turning a morning drink, a conversation with a friend, a quiet moment alone or a small daily ritual into an opportunity to slow down, connect and feel more alive.”
Together, they brought different strengths to a shared vision for a wellness café and community space built around nourishment, connection, meaningful rituals, and simply feeling more alive. And just like that, Thirty-One Well Bar was born.
The CDC: A Familiar Partner for This New Journey
The two entrepreneurs weren’t starting from scratch.
Although Thirty-One Well Bar was a new vision, Kelsey already knew the value of having the right people in your corner. “I had experienced it firsthand when I launched my previous business in 2020. I turned to the Orillia Area Community Development Corporation (CDC) for guidance and support as I navigated the challenges of starting and growing a business during the pandemic,” explains Kelsey.
Located in Orillia at 22 Peter Street South, the CDC is the region’s business success centre, helping budding entrepreneurs turn their ideas into thriving businesses and established companies scale and expand.
Backed by a team of experienced advisors with deep market and industry knowledge, the CDC provides the guidance, counselling, training, practical tools, resources, and funding opportunities entrepreneurs need to plan, start, grow, buy, or sell a business. Its overarching mission is to help create local jobs, strengthen the regional economy and foster a vibrant, connected community where entrepreneurs are supported, businesses flourish and everyone benefits from a strong local economy.
Kelsey explains, “Although we understood the basics of running a business, the CDC counsellors helped us take a deeper dive into details we hadn’t even considered. We worked through business planning, financial forecasting, start-up costs, cash flow, payroll, staffing, and the unique specifics of a café and retail business.”
The CDC helped them understand what information and statistics lenders need to see to put together a complete and strong loan application.
“There were elements that we hadn’t thought of,” says Kelsey, “like understanding café and retail financing streams, payroll and numbers.” Paige readily admits, “I’m more on the creative side, so getting a better handle on the numbers and financial planning was a valuable part of the process for me.”
The numbers didn’t just become something the two entrepreneurs had to figure out on their own—they became a vital tool for understanding how their vision could actually work as a business.
Kelsey says, “The CDC was our first choice, with bank financing as a runner-up, but we would have had to scale back our plans and start small. Paige and I both agree the CDC was the right way to go.”
Growing a Community Around Wellness
Kelsey and Paige envision creating even more opportunities for people to gather, connect and experience wellness in ways that feel authentic, accessible and fun.
Their message is simple: come as you are. “Everyone is welcome,” says Kelsey. “Come for a revitalizing beverage, join a workshop, discover something new—or simply spend some time here and feel like you belong.”
But their vision doesn’t stop at the four walls of Thirty-One Well Bar. “With the expertise and guidance of the CDC,” says Kelsey, “we’re dreaming about taking the show on the road—a mobile van serving up nourishing sips, curated finds, and plenty of Thirty-One spirit at festivals, events and workplaces throughout the region.”
For Kelsey and Paige, business isn’t about getting bigger. It’s about finding more ways to reach people, create connection and make wellness a meaningful part of every day.
Advice for Entrepreneurs: Follow Your Passion. Find Your People. Make It Happen.
“Simply give yourself permission to pursue something because it makes you feel alive,” say Kelsey and Paige.
Their advice to others is simple: pay attention to what lights you up—and then do more of it. Maybe that means trying something completely new, making a change to support your health, reconnecting with people who matter or even starting a business.
Because true wellness is about more than taking care of your body; it’s about slowing down, romanticizing your everyday moments and creating a life that feels good to live.
Looking to Start, Expand or Move Your Business to the Orillia Area?
For more information on how the Orillia Area Community Development Corporation helps entrepreneurs or to book your confidential consultation, please visit orilliacdc.com or call 705-325-4903.