Advertisement

Food Food & Drink

Toronto restaurants that opened and closed this week: October 27-November 2

A hand holding a piece of pie

The sidewalk CafeTO patios are disappearing from Toronto streets just as restaurants return to full capacity. Masks, vaccine certificates, contact tracing and plexiglass aside, going out for a meal is starting to feel almost… semi-normal?

Most of this week’s restaurant moves are in the realm of grab-and-go, bakeries and fast food. A buzzy online pop-up that regularly sells out of nostalgic-themed pies is opening a brick-and-mortar location, a long-running bakery on Dundas West has shut and Leslieville has a new spot for subs.

Meanwhile, there has been some interesting news in the corporate fast-food world as two major players known for burgers and fries announce deals that will see chains known for fresh and healthier offerings expand across Canada.

Here are the Toronto restaurants that opened and closed for the week of October 27-November 2.

Toronto restaurants that closed

OMG Baked Goodness

After 12 years, OMG Baked Goodness has said farewell to Dundas West but the closure is not the end for the business – just this location. In announcing the news on Instagram, owner Lesley Mattina wrote that “the next (delicious) chapter is VERY exciting, so stick around until we can share the details with you.”

Brazil Box

Upstart Brazilian street food business Brazil Box shut down last week after only three months on Queens Quay West, the restaurant announced on Instagram.

Swiss Chalet in Dufferin Mall

The last call for Chalet sauce at Dufferin Mall was Halloween weekend. The Swiss Chalet franchise in the west-end retail mecca officially shuttered at the end of October.

Puff Pastes

The St. Clair West spot serving up pastes – a cross between Cornish pastries and Mexican empanadas – closed down on October 29. “We started this project with the dream to share our Mexican flavours to all Canada, but we never predict that a pandemic will destroy that,” the owners wrote on Instagram.

Toronto restaurants that opened

Goodness Sake

The folks at Bathurst Local are creating a mini-empire of businesses at Bathurst and Dundas. The latest is Goodness Sake, a second-floor sake bar that is serving up bottles at retail price, as well as hot dogs and grilled cheese. They’re also launching a private-room karaoke bar with a focus on natural wine later this month called Forever Karaoke.

322 Bathurst, instagram.com/goodness__sake

New Pie Co.

New Pie Co., one of our favourite new bakeries, is opening a physical location in Stackt Market this weekend (November 5-7). Known for nostalgic and colourful creations like peanut butter and jelly, and birthday cake, the shop will be giving away buns for the occasion and will have new flavours on offer.

28 Bathurst #1-101A, newpie.co

Belly Buster Submarine

Sandwich chain Belly Busters Submarines has moved into the former home of Leslieville shop the Purple Purl, which closed in 2020 after 13 years. The new location opened last Wednesday and is near Queen East and Jones.

1162 Queen East, instagram.com/bellybustersubs

Hale Coffee

The Toronto coffee company’s expansion continues. Hale Coffee soft launched a fifth location at Bloor and Church this week, four months after opening a midtown cafe.

175 Bloor East, halecoffee.com

Kitchen Hub

East-end ghost kitchen/cloud kitchen/”virtual food hall” Kitchen Hub announced this week that Piano Piano, Victory Foods and Brasa Peruvian Kitchen are now available for takeout from its 234 Parliament location.

kitchenhub.com

A Pret A Manger storefront
InSapphoWeTrust / Wikimedia Commons

Other buzzy news

Diwali, India’s biggest holiday, is this Thursday, November 4, and we’re already salivating over the limited menu of sweets and snacks at Little Sister Baking. Read about one of the most unique Diwali menus in the city and the personal inspirations behind it here.

Supermarket success story Farm Boy‘s hot streak continues with an 18th Toronto store opening at 744 Dupont (between Christie and Ossington) on November 4.

Scarborough’s Street Eats Market (520 Progress) is hosting a Poutine Festival this weekend on November 6-7.

If you’ve ever visited the UK on a budget, you’ve probably popped into Pret A Manger, aka Pret, for a quick bite. Soon, you won’t have fly to London (or New York City or Hong Kong) for a “freshly prepared” baguette. The sandwich chain has inked a deal with fast-food company A&W that will see the brand come to Canada as part of a two-year pilot program that will “introduce the Pret brand within A&W restaurants in select markets in Canada.”

Speaking of fast-food companies branching out in to “fresh” food, Swiss Chalet and Harvey’s parent company Recipe Unlimited has announced that it has acquired the remaining 15 per cent minority stake in 22-year-old vegan/vegetarian restaurant and juice bar chain Fresh from Plant Powered Ventures. The corporation’s 100 per cent ownership means Fresh will now expand nationally.

@nowtoronto

Advertisement

Exclusive content and events straight to your inbox

Subscribe to our Newsletter

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

By signing up, I agree to receive emails from Now Toronto and to the Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions.