More than a year after being evicted from their long-running Caribbean cantina at Queen and Broadview, Ed and Lily Pottinger announced last night that the Real Jerk (@RealJerkToronto) has found a new home in the now-defunct Playpen at Gerrard and Carlaw.
“It sort of fell into our laps,” says Ed Pottinger. “It wasn’t on the market but we knew somebody who knew somebody. It’s been a long process. I’m only starting to exhale!”
Despite initial good notices and a brief flirtation with brunch, the way-upscale Playpen floundered, no surprise considering the 135-seat tapas bar was located in a decidedly low-rent plaza next door to a 24-hour donut joint.
The Jerk, however, fits the corner like a glove and isn’t that far from its original location at Queen and Greenwood. There’s lots of parking and, since there’s a firehall next door, no one’s every going to complain about the noise unlike a certain condo board.
“The boys from the station have already come over and introduced themselves. They used to be customers of ours down on Queen so they’re glad we’re back.”
Them and everybody else. When’s the re-launch?
“I’m saying two weeks. It’s almost a turn-key operation. We’ve only got to add a bit of decoration and we’re ready to go!”
