People are flocking to Toronto restaurant for one last taste before it closes

Just over a month has passed since the Annex's iconic Country Style Hungarian Restaurant announced its impending closure, and business has gotten out of control. 

With the closing date of August 1 inching closer and closer, the community of loyal and long-standing customers have been flocking to the cozy Bloor St. dining room in droves, ordering up crispy schnitzel and cabbage rolls like they are going out of style. 

RIP Country Style Hungarian Restaurant in Toronto, which closes August 1 😢So many great meals there, I hope another restauranteur seizes the moment and re-opens something similar in the city. https://t.co/ITyGeVpp8j

— Bill Smith ♊️ (@billcs) June 15, 2023

"People found out we were closing and started lining up," said Country Style owner Katalin Koltai.

"We have to handle two more weeks of this but it's not easy," she continued. "They are lining up to the corner!"

After 62 years in business, the restaurant has become a cornerstone for the local community and a popular destination, particularly for the Annex's extensive Hungarian population. 

During her tenure of nearly 25 years as the eatery's owner, Koltai told blogTO that she still sees customers from her earliest days, with some that have been coming for years before she ever set foot in the restaurant.  

Now with the end of an era in sight, these customers are bidding Country Style a heartfelt farewell by filling their bellies with as much as they can handle. 

The call to action has clearly been answered. Over the last few weeks, the restaurant has been busier than ever, but even with this massive spike in traffic, the decision to close is firm.

"Everybody is so sad," Koltai said. "Everyone is crying 'don’t close!' but we have to. It's time for me to go." 

After a quarter of a century with Country Style and a total of 40 years in the restaurant business, Koltai is looking forward to her retirement. 

"I love it all. I love the area, I love everything," Koltai said. "But it's a lot for me. I can't handle it anymore."

With two busy weeks left, the restaurant's last dance will be a challenge, but for Koltai, she said that feeling the love from the community will make it all worth it.

"You can see that they appreciate us," she said. "And we appreciate them, too."