Ontario is imposing reduced business hours on non-essential retailers, but Toronto restaurants doing delivery and takeout will be exempt from the new rule.
Premier Doug Ford announced a province-wide state of emergency has taken effect this afternoon and stay-at-home orders begin just after midnight on January 14.
The first lockdown last March hit the industry hard and winter months following the holidays are typically slow for restaurants, pandemic or not.
So if you have a favourite local spot, show some love as often as you can.
Here is what opened and closed between January 5-12.
Toronto restaurants that closed
Prairie Girl Bakery
One of the first bakeries to ride the wave of cupcake-mania a decade ago, Prairie Girl was a go-to spot for customized cupcakes and cakes, popularizing flavours like caramel hot chocolate, white mocha and chocolate chunk cookie dough. They didn’t specify why they were closing in the Instagram post where they said goodbye to supporters.
The Skyline Restaurant
The popular Parkdale diner is extending a voluntary temporary closure following the state of emergency announcement today. The restaurant plans to stay closed until the beginning of February.
New Toronto restaurants
Gertie’s
Three words: Peanut butter pie. We missed this launch at the end of last year but we’re bringing it to your attention now. It’s an old family recipe that Sara Steep and Ryan Campbell are selling wholesale. The pies, made with graham wheat and peanut crusts, soft whipped mascarpone cream, all-natural peanut butter mousse and topped with honey roasted peanuts, are currently available at Barocco x Nino, Grow Gather & Co. and McEwan’s.
Mattachioni
This spot for easy and light Italian fare opened an east end location at Coxwell and Gerrard. On top of fresh salads, pizzas and paninis, they’re selling preserves, tomato sauce and semifreddo.
Buzzy announcements
Bar Ape, a popular gelateria on St. Clair West, is officially closed for the winter but they just started an ice cream pop-up. They’re doing a range of flavours including strawberry, blueberry, grapenut crunch and butterscotch ripple.
Lai Wah Heen, a Chinese restaurant near Bay and Dundas, recently started selling meal kits so people can create their recipes, like lobster with ginger and scallion or Dong Puo pork belly, at home. There’s also an option to donate soups to the Leslieville community fridge.
The Drake Hotel has started a drive-thru (or as they’re calling it, an arrive-thru) where people can order ahead, pull up and park outside and have their food delivered curbside.
As we reported yesterday, Ossington bar Sweaty Betty’s is crowd funding to stay open after 17 years in business. Read the full story here.
