Chinese restaurant permanently closes after more than 40 years in Toronto

Owners of a neighbourhood stalwart Chinese Toronto restaurant are now ready for retirement and have closed the restaurant after decades.

Honey Bee Restaurant at 1976 Queen Street East in The Beaches is no more, shutting down after operating the business for more than 40 years.

According to a local media outlet, Beach Metro Community News, owner Michael Lau has reached the end of his business journey and was ready to retire after opening up shop in 1980.

"The lease is expiring and I think it's time. I’ve been thinking about it for a few years and I decided I don't want to work anymore," Lau told the Beach Metro.

The original restaurant was located a couple doors down at 2208 Queen Street East but moved seven years ago to the now-closed location.

Known for their North Americanized Chinese food, Honey Bee served tens of thousands of egg rolls, plates of chop suey, and sweet-and-sour chicken balls.

The very large menu also offered "Canadian" dishes like hamburgers, fries, sandwiches and wings.

Attempting to speak to Lau ourselves, blogTO found that Honey Bee's phone number has already been disconnected and their website shut down.

The Beach Metro article indicated Honey Bee's last operating day was Feb. 28. 

The stalwart restaurant will surely be missed in The Beaches community, where long-standing businesses are becoming fewer and far between.