Toronto brewery abruptly closes due to economic pressures
A neighbourhood sports bar and on-site brewery in Toronto's Canary District have permanently closed following seven years full of community events, sports game watch parties, and of course, lots and lots of memories.
The Aviary Brewpub, now formerly located at 484 Front St. E., was born out of a collaboration between Longslice Brewery and The Dock Ellis Sports Bar. Since being founded in 2018, the bar has grown to include a sprawling patio, as well as a menu full of award-winning beers and satisfying pub eats.
Back in December, the business candidly shared its financial struggles with its customers, revealing that the team had made the incredibly difficult decision to sell both the pub and the brewery.
Last year, one of the co-owners of Longslice Brewery, Veronica Lesch, told blogTO that the decision came down to the state of the economy. "We are at a point in time where we need a bigger business partner or financial investor to take both businesses to the next level. Instead, we have been in survival mode for almost five years," Lesch said at the time.
"Prices have doubled and tripled for our main staples. Interest rates spiked at the end of 2023 impacting consumer spend through most of 2024. Downtown Toronto's hospitality industry is only starting to recover now, but it still has a long way to go."
The business has managed to stay afloat over the past few months, however, in an update posted last week, the owners revealed that The Aviary would be closing following their last day on Feb. 23.
"Our final day was a bittersweet experience. While we're sad to be closing our doors in the Canary District, the farewell gathering was truly special," Longslice Brewery co-owners Jimmy and John Peat said in a statement to blogTO.
"It was wonderful to see so many familiar faces from the neighborhood and former staff. We shared some pints and favourite memories from our time at The Aviary and Longslice Brewery. Although it's hard to say goodbye, we're excited to look ahead to the next chapter. We are incredibly grateful for the support we've received, and we're looking forward to what the future holds!"
As expected, the comments section of the heartbreaking post was immediately filled with emotional and sentimental words from loyal customers.
"You will go down in history. Thank you for taking good care of our community. Thank you to all the staff at The Aviary. You will be forever missed, NEVER forgotten," one person wrote.
"So sad to see you go! You guys got me through the pandemic," another customer said. "We made such good memories thanks to you. We will miss having you in our neighbourhood."
Hector Vasquez
