elvy flo toronto

Toronto cafe permanently closes after only a year in business

An adorable Toronto coffee shop that opened barely over a year ago has announced they are now closing for good.

Elvy & Flo was known for its delicious scratch breakfast sandwiches and charming atmosphere, but its owners feel the cafe can't continue on as it was and that the space would be better utilized in other ways.

With great sadness, we will not re-open Elvy & Flo café. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for a wonderful year meeting and talking with so many people in our great neighbourhood who enjoyed our space as we dreamed it would be enjoyed. The challenges of operating a café as a centre of community in our new environment are daunting. We loved the flow and energy of people and conversation, music afternoons on the patio, children running around and sidling up to the bar for miniccinos. Unfortunately, the very important public health measures required to protect us all from coronavirus, have fundamentally altered the nature of a business such as ours. We are committed to our space as a community hub. You told us Toronto lacks day care spaces. We are now deep in discussion with a local daycare operator who has applied for a license at our space. For more information please visit Riverdale Activity Centre or email riverdaleactivitycentre@gmail.com. We’re hoping they’ll also serve coffee! We’ll keep you posted here and on Facebook. Thank you. We will miss you. Ann and Perry

A post shared by Elvy and Flo (@elvyandflo) on

"Our last day was March 16. Then we had a very successful pop up weekend May 23/24. But the energy generated by having people mingle together was sadly missing. We realize that will be the environment while we manage the risks of coronavirus transmission," says Ann Peel of Elvy & Flo.

"It is not the second living room, kids running around, easy conversation that was our reason to start the cafe. So we thought long and hard about what Toronto and our neighborhood will need in the future. We committed to the use of our space to support our community."

When patios were allowed to open in Toronto during Stage 2, Elvy & Flo chose to stay closed.

The space will become home to Riverdale Activity Centre, a daycare that operator Carolyn Henley says will be able to accommodate babies to four-year-old with baby, toddler and preschool programs. She says anyone who wants to be added to their waitlist can get in touch via email, and that they expect top open before 2021.

"The license application is in and we think it’s a perfect space with lots of light, accessible bathrooms, full commercial kitchen, large playground area," says Peel. "We feel sad but hopeful that our space will continue to serve our community."

Lead photo by

Fareen Karim


Latest Videos



Latest Videos


Join the conversation Load comments

Latest in Eat & Drink

Smeg to open first-ever Canadian flagship in Toronto

Food insecurity could bring this old disease back to Canada

Once-hyped Chinese restaurant known for its noodles shuts down Toronto location

$82 turkey at Loblaw-owned store in Ontario has shoppers stunned

Bizarre interaction at Tim Hortons in Toronto goes viral on TikTok

Major location of Toronto healthy eating chain to be replaced by a Tim Hortons

Thousands show up to Picklefest in Toronto for pickle-inspired food and drinks

Toronto grocery store responds to reports of Listeria outbreak