Roy's Square Post Mortem
This week I put on my investigative reporter hat and went for a stroll around the soon-to-be ghost town that is Roy's Square. I wanted to see how the businesses were coping with being kicked out and what their plans for the future were. In case you missed it, Roy's Square at Yonge and Bloor is going to be completely destroyed to make way for the behemoth that is 1 Bloor.
As expected, no one was happy about moving and some were quite depressed about it, but overall I was glad to see that most of the businesses will be living on in some form or another elsewhere in the city.
For a (somewhat) complete list of the businesses of Roy's Square and their fates, keep reading after the jump.
Businesses that are definitely relocating:
Biryani House - Possibly the best cheap Indian food in the city, Biryani House is moving to 15 Hayden St. This makes me very, very happy.
Marco's Shoe Repair - Get your Birkenstock's re-soled at 890a Church St.
YWCA Store - New location opening uptown at 81 St Clair East.
Falafel House - Shawarma now being served in their new location across the street on Yonge.
Super Discount Plus - Where else can you buy a used fax machine and Mach3 Razor refills? New location will be opening at 558 Yonge St.
Mudo - Yonge Street fashionistas can now shop at 660 Yonge.
Toby's - Grab some wings and beer at their new location at Bathurst and College.
Silver 4U - Moving to 913 Yonge.
Egyptian Psychic - She saw this one coming and secured a lease at Yonge + Yorkville.
Roy's Square Dry Cleaners - Moving to 25 Hayden
Lunch Break Mediterranean Food - Moving to 760 Yonge St.
Nails by Annie - Moving out to Kingston Road
Electronic Watch Service Centre - Moving up the street to 50 Cumberland.
Businesses that would like to relocate but have yet to secure a lease elsewhere:
City Optical - When I think of Yonge and Bloor this shop with its enormous and some would say hideous signage is the first thing that comes to mind. They are expecting to secure a location somewhere in the Bay and Bloor area.
The Salad House - Still looking for a new location.
Banana Leaf Thai Cuisine - Still looking for a new location.
Popeyes Fried Chicken - Mmmm fried chicken.
Businesses that are shutting down altogether:
Harvey's - Rest assured Harvey's fans, there is not a conspiracy to remove all Harvey's from the downtown core as a new location is said to be coming to Yonge and Dundas.
Mr Sub - Already emptied out. I think if you look hard enough you might be able to find another Mr. Sub downtown...
Felix & Norton - Already emptied out.
Smoke and News - After 14 years in this location they will be shutting down as they cannot afford to lease another space in the area.
Coffee Coffee - Already emptied out.
Roy's Garden Chinese Cuisine - Closing after 14 years in business.
Hyart Gallery and Custom Framing - Closing down but the owner said he will still operate his business out of his own house.
Japan and Korea House - Already emptied out.
Currency Exchange - Tourists will have to go elsewhere to get our almighty dollar as this place is already emptied out.
Ritz Carribean Food - Already emptied out but other locations are in the area like 606 Yonge.
New York New York Accessories and Body Piercing - Get something weird pierced at their other locations - Queen West and Sheridan Mall (North York) as this place is shutting down.
Zulu fashion Accessories - Already closed.
Caffery Van Horne - Already closed.
Also worth mentioning that The Shoe Company and the other businesses in the section south of Roy's Square and north of Hayden street (including The Naval Club) have another 7 months before they will have to vacate.
Andrew la Fleur is a registered Real Estate Agent and regular contributor to blogTO.
Comments (10)
The Naval Club were apparently owners of the building whose roof collapsed on Danforth last week, getting the building ready to move from Y+B presumably.
What about the Community History Project (upstairs @ 719 Yonge Street)? Last I'd heard, they still hadn't found a location.
Interesting connection Mark. If I was the witty type I would insert a joke here about The Naval Club being good at constructing boats but not so adept at building actual buildings.
"Egyptian Psychic - She saw this one coming...."
*groan*
I must try Biryani House before they're gone.
Much as I dislike much of the condo chaos around my town, I can't imagine how anyone would see this long wasted premium site as worthy of anything but a wrecking ball. Perhaps the historical corner building could be incorporated into something positive, but really this corner presently looks like part of mainstreet small town nowheresville!
This was a depressingly ugly, crappy, dangerous little alley right smack dab in the middle of one of the most important intersections of Toronto!!!!!!!!!!!!
It's only in a place with such ridiculously low urban design standards and such grossly inept architects and city planners as Toronto that anyone would give this ugly little wasteland even a few lines of ink. Thank goodness it's finally gone. I hope to God that 1 Bloor starts the revitalization of Yonge Street south of Bloor. It too is a tawdry, decaying embarrassment to this city.
I went to the Briyani House this afternoon and the doors were opened but they said they were closed. I asked the men their hours becuase according to the hours outside they should be open (11-9:30). One of the men rudely told me the hours were in the front, as if to imply I was too lazy to look for information I could find out on my own. Clearly those hours are no accurate. I heard good things about this place but I can't patronize rude establishments and the place has apparently undergone a change of management.














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