Toronto restaurant closing down and being replaced within year of opening
A stylish Toronto bar that held some serious potential will be closing down after just a year, and there's already a brand-new concept ready to swoop into the space being left behind.
When Little Italy's Wolfie, a contemporary take on the traditional pub, emerged from the skeleton of what used to be Little Italy's Commoner Bar Room, it felt like a revelation.
The comfortable, cozy atmosphere, with its exposed brick walls and plush leather banquettes, combines seamlessly with a menu loaded with a variety of global dishes that all, somehow, still feel like comfort foods, despite a deliberate elevation.
Wolfie felt like it expanded the frontier of what the category of "pub" even means. Traditionally, you think of pints, wings and sports games, but, ultimately, Wolfie worked towards a realization that it could possibly actually just be about atmosphere.
It's the end of an era, however short-lived, for Wolfie, though, as the pub's team recently took to Instagram to announce that it'll be closing down within weeks.
"After an unforgettable year, we're announcing the closure of Wolfie," the caption of the post reads. "We're deeply grateful for the memories, meals, and moments we've shared with you — our amazing guests, staff, and community."
The restaurant's last day of service will be Saturday, May 24, but it's not all bad news; there's already an exciting new concept slated to move into the space Wolfie is leaving behind.
On May 15, the team behind the Junction Triangle's Lucia took to their own Instagram page to announce that they'll soon be taking over the restaurant space at 614 College with a new Italian-Canadian concept called Sal's.
Named after both owners' fathers, the restaurant is described as "a coming home of sorts" in the caption of the post.
"Sal's Kitchen will showcase dishes that [the owners'] families grew up eating and celebrating milestones with," it reads.
While Sal's precise opening date has yet to be announced, the caption of the Instagram post promises it'll be happening sometime this July.
Fareen Karim
