Born to a worldly family, Nicki Laborie’s passion for great dining experiences was cultivated at a young age with her mother’s impeccable cooking and hosting and her father’s love of wine and travel. Growing up in between the French Alps, Bordeaux and Montreal, Laborie was exposed to many cultures in her travels with her adventurous and entrepreneurial parents. Laborie’s adult life was spent everywhere from Montreal to New York to St. Maarten, before she finally ended up in Toronto and then back to New York in 2021.In 1993, Laborie attended Montreal’s LaSalle College, where she studied Restaurant Management. Shortly after, she moved to New York City to continue her studies at the Fashion Institute of Technology where she graduated in Fashion Marketing & Communications. While in school, Laborie worked in hospitality and club promotions. The experience ultimately set her up for a powerhouse PR career at Nike Communications where she worked for some of the world’s top fashion and luxury brands such as Bottega Veneta, Kenzo as well as renowned Chef Charlie Palmer. Laborie truly began her culinary journey in 2004 in St. Maarten, where she worked as General Manager of the modern sushi restaurant, Bamboo Bernies. Hosting over 2000 guests on certain nights, the restaurant was 25,000 square feet of oceanfront dining and dancing. A few years later, Laborie ended up in Toronto running a 250-seat waterfront restaurant. In 2010, Laborie founded View the Vibe, where she combined her 360-degree expertise in PR, marketing, media, and hospitality industries to create a Canadian online publication offering news and insights into Toronto restaurants, trends, fashion, people, and culture. However, her dream of opening her very own restaurant and bar came to fruition with the opening of Bar Reyna in 2016, then Reyna at Assembly Chefs Hall in 2017 and then Reyna on King in 2019. Post Covid, Laborie decided it was time to expand South of the border and in 2021, she found the perfect location for REYNA New York – a true dream come true. All the locations have successfully captured Laborie’s vision of creating an establishment that combines a unique casual elegance with a hip and eccentric European vibe.Today, View the Vibe and Reyna Hospitality Group are Laborie’s passions that keep her ear to the ground about hospitality trends and the latest in the culinary and cocktail world. Looking forward, the REYNA brand is growing with potential beach and hotel locations. IG: @reynatoronto | @reynaonking | @reyna.newyork | @LeLouisNewYork