Deadpool
Aliviar Spa, Asian Monsoon, Miami Subs and The Travelodge Hotel in the Deadpool
It was a short life for Toronto's first outpost of the pizza and sub chain Miami Subs. A bad paint job certainly didn't help but according to reader Mike Fiume at least some are blaming the downfall on bad management. For those who didn't have the pleasure, Miami Subs only opened on Queen West earlier this fall and served decent enough food. But then two weeks ago the doors were shut and a note went up announcing renovations. It never opened again.
Fiume passed by again last week and saw a longer sign on the door saying Miami Subs was closing due to poor management and that the owner preferred experiencing the city's nightlife over paying the restaurant's employees. The note claimed that none of the employees had been paid since it opened and that the renovation story was just a lie. Today the note is gone, the outside has been painted over (since I took the above photo) and the landlord is once again looking to fill the space.
A few blocks west on Queen Asian Monsoon has closed. Some might remember this restaurant's previous incarnation as Seoul City. Neither place was ever busy and perhaps the owners should have at least considered changing the decor when the highish-end Seoul City Korean concept was abandoned. Good bye. Let's hope something completely new moves in here.
Across the street the once popular Aliviar Spa is no more. A sign on the front window and this web site announces the impending arrival of Toi, a "wellness and beauty" spa.
And finally, on King West the Travelodge Hotel says thanks for the patronage. Once picked by the New York Times' Frugal Traveler as a good enough hotel option in the city, the signs were coming when it started selling its TVs and furniture a couple of months ago. In its wake is now a large chunk of real estate on King that one reader on this site suggested might be home to a new Mandarin Hotel.
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The Travelodge on King is prime real estate! I wouldn't be surprised if a high end hotel or condo goes up that space. And ugh! Miami Subs deserves to close. That gaudy paint job is hideous. Did I just use gaudy and hideous in one sentence?
My girlfriend and I wanted to go to Miami Subs again the other day, and were shocked and disappointed to see it closed when we got there.
The Travelodge property was bought by Freed Developments for around $20 million, I think.
It will very likely become a nice condo similar to 650 King or 550 Wellington.
wow.
i'm kinda sad to see aliviar spa leave. The woman who opened it years ago kinda won my heart over with her story of how she founded it. And I have to admit, she was the best at doing quick, no-nonsense brazillian waxing.
sigh/
as for the mess that was Miami Subs - WTF were they thinking in the first place?
Too bad about that Miami Subs. The city needs more 24 hour joints. I didn't even mind the paint job. I only ate there the one time and the food was half decent. Good enough for drunk if you know what I mean.
Good riddance on the demise of that eyesore, Miami Subs. I gave them a chance twice, the service was terrible, their entire menu a load of deep-fried crap, with the ambiance of an abandoned subway station. Glad they painted over that atrocity, my biggest fear was that the neighborhood would be stuck with it until a new tenant was found. If you need a late-nite (24-hr) bite, it's a short walk to Reggie's on King.
I too got my brazilians at Aliviar!!
She was great, never had my privates felt so good after having it done there!!
wHY dON'T tHESE bUSINESS gET tHIER oWN sTORY fOR gOING uNDER lIKE cIRCA iS gETTING.
What the hell are you talking about bad paint job. THAT PAINT JOB IS AMAZING
Add Madras Pantry to the list of recent closings.
there's been rumors in the recent past of Mark McEwan wanting to expand his grocery store chain and hooking up with Freed at the Travelodge location. Not sure about that anymore though with a Loblaws store coming soon at the corner of Portland and Queen.
THANK GOD MIAMI SUBS CLOSED!!!! That was the worst food and service EVER!!!
That paint job is amazing. But yeah, the food sucks, we (obviously) have them all over here in Miami.
Ah, the Travelodge! My family has owned homes right near there for over 70 years, and I remember passing this place all the time as a kid. I find it ironic that land and property you couldn't give away 30 years ago ("Who wants to live downtown, ewwwww!") not commands millions of dollars. Even with all the noise and pollution, I can't blame anyone for wanting to live downtown, where you can bike or walk most places, and avoid the union-diseased Dodo known as the TTC!
Thank you for your support..... but i sold the spa last July to a other person to obviously was not able to continue with Aliviar Spa Tradition, tecnics and services and don`t understood their concept.
Feel free to e-mail me.
ibeth.dehamilton@gmail.com
Thank you for your support..... but i sold the spa last July to a other person to obviously was not able to continue with Aliviar Spa Tradition, tecnics and services and don`t understood their concept.
Feel free to e-mail me.
ibeth.dehamilton@gmail.com
Does anyone know if Deep Blue Fish & Chips on Broadview has gone out of business? Every time I go by it looks closed but there's nothing on door to indicate that. Their Web site is still up.
One has to look into Miami Beach condos if one would like to take pleasure in the vacations most.
I'm amazed that the owner of Aliviar Spa actually will take the time to respond to bloggers but not paid their supplier.
Plus the new owners won't pay either.
I did email at ibeth.dehamilton@gmail.com asking when payment would arrive and I'm still waiting for a response....tick, tock....
I lived on Portland Street for a few years before Susur moved in and the gentrification of the neighborhood began. I now live in Australia and spent the first 3 nights in Toronto on my last trip in October/November 2009 at the Travelodge. It had gone downhill but I am fortunate I was one of the last guests at that motel before it closed; between the downtown clubbers looking for a cheap place to sleep off the drugs and alcohol to cops bringing in their non-spouses and hookers renting a room for the night, that place had one helluva history.