Student bar in Toronto closes abruptly without notice

Though students in Toronto are slowly getting back to something resembling normalcy, another bar known as a student hangout has closed with no warning.

O'Grady's was on College right across from the U of T campus, but as the school year starts, for lease signs hang in the windows.

The long-standing pub was known for cheap beer, bar food like nachos and wings, a game of pool and taking in the game, for lease signs from CBRE are now posted in the windows.

Oh wow. O’Grady’s is now closed. pic.twitter.com/CWxXvKL5FM

— The Nope that Kills You (@Lesley_NOPE) October 18, 2021

People replying to a tweet posted Oct. 18 grieve the loss of the student hangout mainstay.

Einstein’s and O’Grady’s. Getting hard for faculty I mean students to grab a drink these days…

— Andy Fraser (@andy_utoronto) October 18, 2021

Just down the street, other student bar Einstein just closed down in a similar fashion, quietly fading away with no formal announcement or explanation.

My wife and I first met a few hundred feet away for one of our classes, and shared our first pint together there!

Oh and also a few dozen much less charming, far more inebriated nights haha

— jimboknows (@jimboknows27) October 18, 2021

One person commented on the tweet that O'Grady's was a go-to for pitchers after softball games on the U of T lawn, and another commented that it was where they shared their first pint with their wife who they met in classes just hundreds of feet away.

I went there often, close to OCAD. Shame

— Cory Manley (@cory_manley) October 18, 2021

Though U of T is just across the street, someone from nearby OCAD commented that they used to go there all the time as well.

O'Grady's was topped by board game lounge Loft, where social accounts have been inactive since 2020. Their website has also disappeared.

Though it's sadly seeming like some student pubs didn't survive lockdown, there are still some very dependable classic options in the area like Madison Avenue and Prenup Pub.