12 notable Toronto businesses that closed in April

Toronto witnessed the closure of a number of notable businesses this month. From long-established bakeries, iconic video stores and local butchers that'll truly be missed to short-lived eateries that proved nothing more than a flash in the pan, these casualties joined the deadpool in April.

Here's a roundup of Toronto businesses that closed this past month.

Queen Video
The video store closed its original location on Queen West this month after six weeks of liquidation sales. The location in the Annex remains open.

Cafe Bar Pasta
The Italian restaurant known for its scratch-made pastas and sleek interior quietly shuttered in April. It faced fierce competition on a stretch of Dundas West dominated by restaurants like Campagnolo and Enoteca Sociale.

Custodio's Meats and Eats
Roncesvalles' butcher shop specializing in whole animal butchering and an abundance of prepared foods abruptly shuttered this month with no notice or explanation provided.

Easy Restaurant
The College Street breakfast joint quietly closed in April meaning Little Italy residents have lost an excellent source for all day Huevos Divorciados. The location in Parkdale is still operational.

Frangipane
The beloved bakery on Dupont, Frangipane">closed up shop in April after 11 years in business. Owner Claudia Egger bid farewell to loyal customers via a note stating that she's decided to "focus on creating custom cakes, pastries and confections for special occasions and events".

Gyutaro
The Annex restaurant only opened last fall and had established itself in the neighbourhood as a source for cheap and filling Japanese comfort foods. The Bloor Street restaurant was unfortunately gutted by fire mid month and shows no signs of reopening anytime soon.

LAN Sushi
The sushi bar in The Junction shut its doors for good mid-month. Messages on Facebook suggest that the Japanese restaurant is merely relocating, though a new address has yet to be confirmed.

The Longest Yard
The Midtown pub bid long-time patrons goodbye with a farewell lobster boil before closing its doors on May 1st. The pub has occupied the corner of Mt. Pleasant and Belsize for over 30 years, but now owners intend to focus on the second location of the business in Etobicoke.

Paganelli's Risotteria
The windows at this Italian restaurant near St. Lawrence Market have been papered over. The restaurant with ample parking and sunny front patio didn't make it to see another tourist season.

PO Box 1192
The short-lived Leslieville snack bar is closed for good after defaulting on rent payments to the tune of almost $70,000 according to the notice of distress in the window. The bar aimed to introduce old school hip hop, daytime dance parties and a menu of $10-or-less snack foods when it opened last fall, but it never seemed busy... or open.

The Old Laurel
Davy Love's British pub and venue for Premier League football is on the move again. The pub outgrew its outpost near Christie Pits and moved to West Queen West in 2014 and then relocated again to an address on College Street last fall. The pub served its last pint on April 3rd and is set to reopen again in a yet to be announced new home.

Sparrow Restaurant
The sister spot to the Kennedy Public House ceased operations this month after nearly two years in business in Bloor West Village.

Did you spot a Toronto business closure this month? Let us know in the comments.

Photo of Cafe Bar Pasta by Jesse Milns.

by Liora Ipsum via blogTO