Toronto restaurant known for deli sandwiches abruptly closing due to rising costs
It's never easy when a neighbourhood staple is forced to say goodbye, but in this case, it stings a little extra.
Dave's Genuine Deli, a Jewish deli located at 1763 Avenue Rd., has announced that it will be closing its doors this weekend, ending five years of serving some of the city's most sought-after sandwiches.
Chef and owner Dave Isen, who previously served as executive chef at MLSE's e11even, FAB Restaurant Concepts, Brickworks Ciderhouse, and Mill Street Brewpub locations across Ontario, shared the news on Instagram along with his team.
The deli, which originally began as a curbside pick-up operation on St. Clair Ave. during the pandemic, developed a reputation for its old-school, fresh-baked rye sandwiches, with protein options like smoked meat, pastrami, corned beef, and, who could forget, the big grilled Reuben.
Virtually any dish you could imagine sandwiched between bread could be found at Dave's, including hot dogs, BLTs, and tuna salad, alongside soups like matzo ball, chicken noodle, starters like beef knish with gravy, and mains like baked mac and cheese and chicken wings.
Following its popularity as a curbside operation, Dave's eventually moved its operations into a full dine-in location on Avenue Road.
However, as is growing ever more common with local restaurants, Dave's is bidding farewell to the neighbourhood thanks to a combination of factors, most notably rising food costs, shifts in consumer spending, high third-party delivery commissions, and planned renovations for the building's upper floors, which would have required the business to relocate.
As a thank-you to its loyal customers, the deli will offer 50 per cent off everything in-store during its final two days on Friday, March 13, from 2 p.m. to close, and on Saturday, March 14, from 10 a.m. to close. The offer is cash-only, and debit and credit transactions will be charged at the regular price.
As expected, the unexpected announcement sent shockwaves through the local community, who poured into the comments section to share their devastation.
"What a shock… it became a neighbourhood staple. Sad to see it go," one person wrote, while another customer said, "So sad to hear this. Thank you for being such a safe place for celiacs, I will miss your food so much!"
The deli's last day of operation will be on Saturday, March 14.
Hector Vasquez
