frankie tomatto tower

Former Toronto Italian buffet tears down Leaning Tower of Pisa replica in final blow

A truly loved East Side Mario's-adjacent Italian buffet that shuttered years ago has met its final blow after the removal of its artificial tower.

The gigantic 55-foot Leaning Tower of Pisa tower outside Frankie Tomatto's, technically in Markham but really just a single step away from Toronto, has been pulled down and demolished.

The buffet closed down in 2020 after 25 years and 11 million meals served, leaving the city without its salty all-you-can-eat pasta and creamy caesar salads.

For the uncultured, Frankie's was known for its quirky and corny Italian decor, both inside and outside the 15,000 square-foot building.

Think tomato-themed everything, faux Roman marble busts and Italian flags drapped in every corner.

But it was mostly known for its incredible large Leaning Tower of Pisa replica, which greeted customers with an almost halo-like type glow.

In a dramatic and heartbreaking video, the tower is seen being pulled down by some rope and crashing into the ground.

Though it doesn't outright break into millions of tiny pieces, the frame is sort of intact as it lays defeated on the parking lot pavement, its final resting place. 

It appears the building is being demolished by a construction crew, meaning the legacy of Frankie's will only now live in our hearts and mind.

Goodbye fake Leaning Tower of Pisa, I already miss ya!

Lead photo by

Eugene Paunil


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