Toronto's food industry continues to weather the debilitating effects of a citywide lockdown, but we've lost some legendary ones along the way.
Owning a business has never been easy here, and live music venues have been dropping like flies for years, but tack that on to landlord disputes, evictions, and government rent relief that just didn't come fast enough during the global pandemic, and it's safe to say Toronto's landscape will look a lot different in a few months' time.
Take a moment to mourn your faves. Here are some notable bars and restaurants that have permanently closed in Toronto since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Hideout
After 13 years, this rock n'roll dive bar bid adieu in mid-April, just three years after being forced out of its original spot on Queen West.
Shore Leave
This beloved tiki bar was evicted from its Danforth East location after failing to pay rent during the pandemic.
The Beaver
The wound is still fresh for the queer community who have called this iconic gay bar near Queen and Dufferin home since 2006.
Orbit Room
Live music venues haven't been able to open at all since lockdown, but the permanent closure of this 25-year-old staple in Little Italy hits different.
Dave's
After a decade, this neighbourhood pub on St. Clair West announced two months ago that it was lights out for good.
Crocodile Rock
RIP to the tackiest multi-floor bar in the city. Croc Rock sat at Adelaide and Duncan for a whopping three decades, and pretty much remained busy the whole way through until COVID hit.
Club 120 and 120 Diner
Toronto's trailblazing nightclub for trans women and inclusive parties, formerly Goodhandy's, closed after 14 years on Church.
The pizza joint Vesuvio closed after 63 years in the Junction. Photo by Hector Vasquez.
Scallywags
The Liverpool F.C. Supporters Club will have to find a new bar to congregate for soccer matches now that this 23-year-old staple at Yonge and St. Clair has closed.
Tennessee Tavern
AYCE perogie nights may never happen in Toronto again now that this Parkdale restaurant has closed, and we'll have to live with that.
The Puck
A month into the pandemic, this Annex sports bar was threatened with eviction after failing to pay rent. Looks like the landlord came through on their promise.
The Red Light
Bourbon-fulled nights at this Dundas West watering hole will live on in our memories. The sister bar of Sweaty Betty's closed after 11 years.
Underground Garage
The bra-filled ceilings of this 19-year-old King West staple are no more thanks to a landlord dispute that also kicked out UG Loft and Tokyo Hot Fried Chicken.
Supernova Ballroom
The novel idea of low-waste cocktails wasn't enough to keep this Financial District bar going, less than a year after it opened.
The John 3
The third iteration of 'The John' series has closed its Riverside location during the pandemic, not long after taking over where Aft and KT bar used to be.
BBs Diner
The trailblazing Filipino spot that turned brunch on its head when it first launched two years ago has closed down its pink building for good. Farewell, silogs.
Universal Grill
This beloved brunch spot has closed after 24 years, putting an end to this Shaw Street building's century-old diner legacy.
Live Organic Food Bar
Toronto's first-ever raw food restaurant has closed its original (and last) brick-and-mortar on Dupont, which opened in 2001.
The only Cauldron location in Toronto has closed after serving Instagrammable summer treats. Photo by Hector Vasquez.
Wexford Restaurant
The loss of this diner feels almost surreal: after 63 years, we no longer have jugs of freshly squeezed OJ readily available in the legendary Wexford plaza.
Cafe Crepe
Not being able to peak into the window to see (more importantly, smell) crepes being made fresh at this 18-year-old fixture completely changes the act of walking down Queen West forever.
True True Diner
Chef Suzanne Barr announced the closure of her diner on King East just last week. You'll have to go elsewhere to eat Afro-Caribbean comfort food while admiring civil rights photographs.
Golden Thai
Thai restaurants are aplenty, but the establishment which arguable popularized the cuisine in Toronto has closed its Church Street location after three decades.
Tucker’s Marketplace
Buffets never stood a chance in this pandemic, and this AYCE chain announced that it was closing all its Canadian locations in late June.
Poutini's
Late night poutine culture has lost a real one. The West Queen West staple (the last of its locations) has disappeared from the fabric of the city forever.
Pray Tell
There were plans to sell prior to the pandemic, according to this College Street snack bar, so its permanent closure came as no surprise.
Boom Breakfast on College
The original location of this rooster-branded brunch spot has closed after 17 years, but its St. Clair location is still operating.
Yummy House
Students from Riverdale Collegiate will be going back to school (eventually) to a sad sight: the empty bones of the beloved cheap Chinese joint Yummy House, who penned a beautiful goodbye sign.
Southern Accent
The beginnings of Cajun and Creole cuisine in Toronto was largely overseen by this Mirvish Village mainstay, but after 37 years and a recent relocation, the restaurant has closed.
The Civil Rights Movement-themed True True Diner has shuttered on King West for good. Photo by Hector Vasquez.
Prohibition Gastrohouse
It's been a rough year for this brand, which went from two locations (the one on Eglinton closed late last year) to zero after the most recent loss of its 13-year-old Riverside location.
Nando’s
This global chicken chain closed 21 of its Canadian locations during the pandemic including spots on the Danforth, Beaches and West Queen West.
Hogtown Smoke on Colborne
This BBQ spot was locked out of their Colborne location by their landlord at the beginning of the pandemic, though the Beaches location is still operating.
Vesuvio
People loved this Junction pizza joint and it showed. Following the announcement they were closing after 63 years, people lined up for hours to get one last New York-style pie.
Il Gatto Nero on College
After 60 years, this family-run corner staple closed its Little Italy restaurant to pure heartbreak. They do have a second spot in Etobicoke, though.
Gandhi Roti
It was tiny, but it was mighty. Queen West's go-to spot for butter chicken and East Indian roti closed up shop on June 30. Lineups were. expectedly, out of hand.
Luci
The owners of this Etobicoke restaurant closed their establishment after nine years, citing concerns of how to operate while maintaining social distancing.
NishDish
One of the very few places in Toronto selling Indigenous food closed up its shop after three years at Christie and Bloor, but say they'll find a way to operate in a new home down the road.
Pancho Y Emiliano on King
Opening up during the King Street Pilot, when restaurants were flocking from the strip, this Mexican restaurant has called it quits.The original Pancho in Kensington, however, is still serving up the booze.
The Westerly
After eight years, this Roncy restaurant called it quits in May due to the financial pressures of the pandemic.
Jules Bistro on Spadina
The day before their 21st anniversary, this French bistro closed its Spadina location for good. Though the decades-old spot is gone, the locations on West Queen West and Leslieville remain open.
Pancho Y Emiliano has closed its King West location and concentrating on the original Kensington restaurant. Photo by Herman Siu.
Movenpick Marche Toronto
The airy Marche Restaurant and Movenpick Cafe at Brookfield Place nad Concourse Level ceased operations three months ago after withdrawing all operations from Canada.
Lucky Star
This shining star of the Riverside community was just a humble, family-run Chinese-Canadian spot, but it won the hearts of locals with its sweet and sour delights and chicken balls for 30 years.
True Love Cafe
It's unclear what exactly happened to this iconically romantic Sherbourne and Dundas cafe. The red hearts are still up, but a for lease sign in the window means another broken heart.
Big Sushi
This Annex spot for rolls and cheap lunch specials is officially no more after 13 years of serving Japanese eats at Bloor and Dalton Road.
Brothers
Yorkville is short an award-winning organic wine bar now that this restaurant has closed.
Yeon
Just two months after opening, the restaurant focusing on Korean royal court cuisine has closed its elegant location, despite promising potential for a one-of-a-kind dining experience.
Dino’s Pizza in the Junction
There are still two other locations of this popular local pizza chain, though Dino did decide to close this most recent outpost in the Junction amidst the pandemic.
The Filipino spot BBs Diner will no longer be serving epic weekend brunch. Photo by Hector Vasquez.
Clove Apple Cafe
This sweet-smelling cafe in Parkdale shuttered its doors, almost exactly a year after opening on Queen Street West.
Friday Roots and Vibes
What promised to be a staple for fried chicken and live acts like bands and comedy shows came to an end far too quickly. The former pop up-turned-permanent restaurant on Dundas West is now gone for good.
Flying Pony
Little India's local coffee shop and art gallery has seemingly vacated the building, by the looks of it, though word through the grapevine is it might reopen someday under a new name.
Cauldron Ice Cream
Our Instagram feeds will never be the same now that this Queen West dessert shop is no longer serving its Puffle cones.
Labothery
The innovative bubble tea brand offering science lab-themed DIY boba closed all its locations in the city as of June 9.
Roselle on Queen
You'll have to head to this patisserie's original Corktown shop for soft serve and baked treats. The West Queen West store has officially folded.
Sorelle & Co.
This cafe specializing in beautiful gluten-free eats has closed up its shops in Yorkville and Vaughan to focus on wholesale.
JJ Bean
Nearly all locations of this Vancouver-based coffee chain are no more, including the only three that were located in Toronto at Eglinton, Adelaide, and Bartley Drive.
Butter Avenue
Queen and Spadina's macaron paradise closed permanently two months ago. Thankfully, their Markham headquarters are open for delivery and pick-ups, and their sister brand Butter Baker is still around.
One of the city's few Indigenous restaurants, Nish Dish, has closed. Photo by Jesse Milns.
The Green Beanery
The Annex's mainstay coffee shop closed at the end of May after 12 years of WiFi-free brews and meet-ups.
Dufflet Pastries on Yonge
Their signature Cakelets are still for sale at the signature Queen West store, but Dufflet's uptown bakery closed its second-last location last month after 18 years.
LeTAO
If you never got a chance to try this world-famous Japanese cheesecake brand, your opportunity's lost. The only LeTAO location outside of Japan was evicted from its College Street store this April.
The Dock on Queen
Cottage vibes are now relegated to the actual cottage now that this popular cafe and live performance venue has shut down permanently (after allegedly leaving the space in quite a hurry.)
Plentea
Record-low sales forced this tea bar at Queen and Dufferin to close after opening in the Parkdale neighbourhood in 2016.
Prairie Girl Bakery at First Canadian Place
The once bustling hallways of The PATH inside FCP became a ghost town, which is likely why this bakery bid goodbye after nine years.
by Tanya Mok via blogTO
No comments:
Post a Comment