Viral Ontario burger shop opening new location in Toronto

An Ontario burger chain that made its Toronto debut seven years ago is finally expanding in the city, and it's taking the place of another highly anticipated restaurant that never actually ended up opening.

When it comes to expanding your restaurant chain in Toronto, Liberty Village is probably one of the best places you can do it. Thousands upon thousands of people live and work in the area, to say nothing of those passing through on their way to sports games and events at BMO Field or the Coca-Cola Coliseum.

To put it simply, if it's going to work out anywhere, it's probably going to work in Liberty Village.

That seemed to be the mentality for the team behind the legendary Montreal shawarma brand, Boustan, when they prepared to open their first downtown Toronto location, putting up signage in a unit at 49 East Liberty St.

Over a year after the announcement, though, the location, which was originally slated to open in July of 2024, failed to launch entirely. 

Now, they've seemingly given up the ghost entirely, as a new tenant prepares to move in and, selfishly, I'm more excited about this one.

Ottawa-based burger chain, Burgers n' Fries Forever (or BFF for short) is gearing up to launch their second Toronto location in the Liberty Village unit once intended for Boustan.

Ever since landing in Toronto in 2018, the burger joint has earned a solid reputation across the city, both for its selection of — you guessed it — burgers and fries and for its charmingly retro aesthetic. 

While the competition among burger joints in the city is steep, especially when it comes to smash burgers, they've proven themselves mighty able to hold their own on the scene, and now their footprint is expanding.

"We are beyond excited to open our second location in Liberty Village," a representative from BFF tells me.

"We chose this neighbourhood because [it's] one of the most vibrant, creative, and high-enery communities in the city — making it the perfect home for our bold and fun brand."

While the precise opening date is still under wraps, they say the new burger joint should be opening sometime in the first week of June. Personally, I'll just be happy if it opens at all.

In the meantime, you can visit BFF's other Toronto location at 106 John Street.