Events in toronto: Toronto restaurant on the brink of success is permanently closing

A Toronto restaurant that said they were gearing up to have one of their most successful years ever, has now decided to close their doors for good.

"We have decided that the time has come to close the chapter on Brickyard Bistro," the restaurant wrote in a post on social media.

View this post on Instagram

We have decided that the time has come to close the chapter on Brickyard Bistro. We are so thankful to all of you in the community, family, and friends alike for your generosity, and kind spirits. This place has not only taught us a lot about running a business, but also a lot about ourselves. Throughout this process we have experienced more ups and downs than expected (hello covid, hello construction every other weekend!) but overall we walk away with knowing we made great new friendships, and we hope we have left a positive mark on the community. To be completely honest, friends - running a small bistro is HARD. Yes, you have heard it before, but it is so so true. There comes a point when doing what you love just isn’t enough anymore. The restaurant culture here makes it basically impossible to thrive, for both employees and owners alike. It takes so much from you, not just financially, but emotionally as well. We have chosen to take the opportunity that our landlords (who have been absolutely wonderful, fair, and supportive throughout these covid times) gave us to end our lease prematurely, so that we can end on a note that we feel comfortable with and go back to focusing on family and personal well-being. To our amazing staff - we would like to publicly thank you all for your dedication, work ethic, and care that you put into your work with us every single day. You were the best of the best, and for that, we are grateful. We will always be a Brickyard Family!! We will be open in a Stage 2 format for the rest of the summer, with our last day being brunch on Sunday Aug 30th. Please come on by to say goodbyes, and any support you continue to give us through this last month will be extremely appreciated. Also, if you are a holder of any Gift Cards for the Bistro, they can be used up until our last day, so please make use of them if you plan to before they expire! Thank you all once again from the bottom of our hearts! Team Brickyard

A post shared by Brickyard Bistro (@brickyardbistro) on Aug 6, 2020 at 1:06pm PDT

"Throughout this process we have experienced more ups and downs than expected (hello covid, hello construction every other weekend!) but overall we walk away with knowing we made great new friendships, and we hope we have left a positive mark on the community."

The corner spot restaurant was known for its brunch and elegant French bistro fare including thoughtfully selected wines, and opened back in 2017.

"For us, this year was meant to be the year we finally took off and were on track to do so before COVID, but all that went out the window obviously," says Carly Thorne, one of the owners.

"Considering our lease would be up in just over a year and knowing we won't be able to be at full capacity for a long time to come, it just doesn't make sense for us to keep working so hard for so little coming in."

Thorne says Brickyard is "lucky to have very understanding landlords."

As their social media post says, "We have chosen to take the opportunity that our landlords (who have been absolutely wonderful, fair, and supportive throughout these covid times) gave us to end our lease prematurely, so that we can end on a note that we feel comfortable with and go back to focusing on family and personal well-being."

The post also says their last service will be brunch on Aug. 30 and they'll be continuing in a Stage 2 format until then, and to use any gift cards before they close.

Thorne says the building is currently for sale and isn't sure what might be taking Brickyard's place.

"Running a restaurant this way was not our vision, and I'm sure it's not for many others out there," she says. "It's time to let it go before we dig a deeper hole."