Dooney's to return to Bloor St. (but not the Annex)

Dooney's, the much loved Annex cafe and restaurant, is set to make a return to Bloor St. after closing its doors at Bloor and Borden streets back in 2009. The rebirth of the cafe will not, however, take place in the old hood. As the CBC reports, the new iteration will be located at Bloor and Carling, just over a kilometre west of the original spot.

Will a new Dooney's be able to re-achieve the success it enjoyed in its heyday? The rent is certainly cheaper in Bloorcourt than the Annex, the cafe certainly still has a following all these years later, and the new spot might even accommodate a small side patio -- all of which are positive signs. But the independent coffee scene has blown up since Dooney's closed up shop, and the area itself already features spots like Northwood, Ella's Uncle, The Common and Rustic Owl.

Despite the presence of some additional competition, one expects that nostalgia alone should help get a new Dooney's off to a strong start. Owner Graziano Marchese indicated to the CBC that he wants to keep things as similar as possible to the old cafe, which just sounds smart to me. Dooney's 2.0 is set to open a sometime around the new year.

by Derek Flack via blogTO