My iconic OPEN/CLOSED is THE most comprehensive resource of restaurant openings (virtual/brick-and-mortar/popups/allll the things) and food/drink news in the city.
No one does it bigger or better. Watch for the drop every Thursday.
#ifyouknowyouknow
What makes it the top list in the city? See below.
I’ve got my finger on the pulse of what’s happening not just in top bars and restaurants in Toronto and the trendy downtown core, but establishments across the GTA, including Scarborough, Markham, North York, York, Thornhill, Richmond Hill, Vaughan, Woodbridge, Etobicoke, Mississauga, Port Credit, and Oakville.
My weekly findings doesn’t showcase just brick and mortar places either. It encompasses allll the food and drink ventures in allll their forms: insta bakeries • ghost kitchens • breweries • shopstaurants • pop-ups • dark kitchens • shadow kitchens • delivery-only restos • bistros • bottle shops • bodegas • perma pop-up s• commissary kitchens • delivery pop-ups • home-based restaurants • virtual kitchens.
You name it, I’ve got it.
Since the start of the pandemic, the increase of online and home-based businesses has exploded.
Top chefs have turned side hustles and passions into internet-breaking successes.
Regular folks have followed their dreams and created food businesses that have foodies lining up. Want to know the fascinating story about the electrician who taught himself to make pizza in the backyard? The Red Seal chef that took his obsession with smash burger to the next level? The bartender-turned-barber who launched a weekly delivery program? I’ve uncovered it all. BEFORE everyone else.
My OPEN/CLOSED isn’t cut and pasted from other outlets. It’s my diligent hard work and journalistic skills that goes into each and every finding. In addition to pounding the pavement and scouring the internet for new arrivals, I conduct interviews, fact-check, follow up, and dig for more info to give readers the most complete overview of each business in just a few sentences.
Each week’s column is more than just a list. It’s an industry expert’s deep dive into the current landscape, uncovering paradigm shifts and trends that ebb and flow, resulting in real-world data revealing a bigger picture - where the industry is currently, and more importantly, where it’s going .
Want to know whether smash burgers, pizza cones, and shokupan are here to stay? Better get caught up.
Have you noticed other outlets suddenly have ‘restaurants that open and closed this week’ lists? I’ve been writing the OPEN/CLOSED every week for close to a decade now (I take a week or two off over Christmas/New Years). There are a lot of imitators, but no one comes close to the sheer amount of people and places I uncover every week. You’ll see.
While diners use the OPEN/CLOSED to help choose their next destination and keep up-to-date on what’s happening, it’s also a leading resource for a myriad of professionals including: industry folks (FOH, BOH, owners, landlords), real estate agents, recruiters, staffing agencies, and sales teams.
It’s one of the most valuable resources in the industry. With this many eyeballs locked on every week, it’s also the best place to spread the word about your place, products or service.