Toronto pizzeria closing down after 15 years

A Toronto pizza shop that's been a staple for 15 years will be closing down permanently this month, but not before serving up some piping hot deals to thank their supporters.

Ever since 2010, Etobicoke's Pizza Hub Toronto has been a go-to for freshly-baked pies, offering everything from classic cheese and pepperoni to more unique offerings like butter chicken sauce, tandoori chicken and shahi paneer.

Offering both delivery and dine-in options, the latter of which includes additional menu items like loaded fries topped with butter chicken (a favourite among Pizza Hub regulars), wings and panzerotti, the pizzeria has amassed a cult following over their storied 15-year run.

"This restaurant has been a family dream brought to life—a vision inspired by my father’s passion for food and hospitality," owner Harpreet Banwait tells me. "Together, we created a space where people could gather, enjoy unique flavors like our shahi paneer and tandoori chicken pizzas, and feel a sense of connection and belonging."

Unfortunately for the Pizza Hub faithful, the shop is gearing up to close down for good at the end of this month, closing out what can only be described as a wildly successful run in a city where too many businesses find themselves closing up shops before even the 5-year mark.

The magnitude of such an accomplishment isn't lost on Harpreet, who tells me that he and his team have been "so grateful" to be a part of the community over the past decade and a half.

It's exactly that gratitude, he says, that inspired him to go out with one last bang before shuttering the business for good.

"As a thank you to our loyal customers and the neighbourhood that supported us from day one, we’ll be offering $10 large cheese or pepperoni pizzas on April 25th," he says, calling the deal "a small way to give back and celebrate the memories we’ve made together."

With a large Pizza Hub pie usually going for around $14, the offer represents, as Harpreet says, a small (yet, with the price of food these days, not insignificant) way to celebrate Pizza Hub's legacy, and the community that helped them get here.

The closure comes as the result of Harpreet and his family deciding that, ultimately, it's time to go in new directions, allowing the pizza shop's reign to end with grace.

"As life evolves, so do we. With my father’s encouragement and our family’s support, we’ve decided to embark on a new adventure in a different industry that excites us and aligns with our future goals," Harpreet tells me.

"While this transition is thrilling, it’s also deeply emotional to say goodbye to the restaurant that has been such a big part of our lives and the lives of so many others."

Pizza Hub is located at 6640 Finch West, in the Finchwood Plaza.