The original Rock Lobster on Ossington is closing

Rock Lobster is saying goodbye to Ossington Avenue as chef Matt Dean Pettit gets ready to close down his restaurant's first bricks-and-mortar location on March 1, 2016.

But, Pettit isn't bidding Toronto adieu. Instead, he's working on a new upscale fast casual concept that'll still focus on sustainable seafood; it's called Matty's Seafood Co. "The smaller foot print will allow us to open in a wider range of markets including office buildings, universities and food courts," says Pettit in a news release.

Matty's Seafood Co. will feature popular Rock Lobster dishes. "We have taken the best elements of the Rock Lobster Food Co. and repackaged it into a format that will allow us to better expand across the country and the USA," says Pettit about his new eatery, which potential franchisees can buy into later this year.

Pettit also has a line of food seafood dishes - including lobster mac-and-cheese - available Sobeys. In 2015, he shut down his Leslieville-area Rock Lobster outpost. And, it's still unclear what's happening with Rock Lobster's Queen West location. While Pettit confirms he hasn't sold it, we'll have to wait and see whether it remains as is.

Photo by Morris Lum.