Toronto restaurant puts up sign asking people to eat there so they don't become a pot shop

Toronto restaurants have been doing some interesting things to attract business lately, but one has a tactic that feels particular to this city: asking people to eat there so they don't become a weed shop.

Patrician Grill posted a photo to social media of a sign they've had outside the diner recently, reading "Eat here before it becomes a weed shop." 

People have been having a field day online with the sign, which is by turns funny and sad but mostly feels like the most Toronto thing ever.

"We don't need another pot shop in the neighbourhood," reads the caption to a photo of the sign posted to Facebook, which has hundreds of likes. "Go visit the Patrician."

People have been responding to the photo with comments like "That's just the best sign," and "love the sign."

"This has been a great place my entire 15 years living here. Great place, family restaurant," another person wrote. "That sign would make me not eat there lol not that I smoke weed," wrote someone else.

"We put it up because the city has been inundated with weed shops," Patrician Grill owner Terry Papas tells blogTO. 

The Papas family has been running the grill on King East since 1967, where they still sling iconic dishes like omelettes, clubhouse sandwiches, burgers and pie.

They've seen the face of the neighbourhood change a lot over the years, and in a way their sign is a sly comment that they're not about to go anywhere now.

"It's getting ridiculous just like condos, we had a sign before that said eat here before it becomes a condo," says Papas. "People are loving the weed comment."