Beloved Toronto ice cream business finds new home after many moves
After multiple closures and a series of different locations, Toronto's beloved Brett's Ice Cream has now settled down in a new home, but will this one stick?
It's not easy running a business in Toronto; if you keep tabs on all the businesses across the city that close down, regardless of the size of their fan bases, you've undoubtedly experienced this to be true.
But, even more difficult for some, is letting a dream die, even when the odds, be they rising rent or area development, are stacked against you. That's why, every time it seems like Brett's Ice Cream has met its end, it finds a new way to rebound.
Originating in 2017 with its first location at the intersection of Kingston Road and Queen East in the Beaches, Brett's is a bold, family-oriented operation helmed by eponymous founder Brett Young. Quickly, the seasonal operation became a staple in a neighbourhood that thrives during summertime — an auspicious existence, indeed.
But, as Brett's prepared to enter its fifth season of scooping sweet treats for the Beaches community, the shop's address was slated for demolition, and Brett's found itself in need of a home.
Not long after, though, the shop reopened at a new Kingston Road and McCowan Drive location in Scarborough, and another just down the road at Kingston and Victoria Park. Only a couple of seasons later, though, Brett's once again took to Instagram to announce that it would be closing its primary Scarborough location.
The culprit this time? Young told blogTO that rising costs and faltering sales meant that the operation was no longer sustainable for them. The pop-up location at 1007 Kingston Rd. stayed in business, however, and now, Brett's is back in a big way.
Brett's has partnered with Bodega by City Cottage to bring its sweet scoops back to Scarborough this spring, and, as of May 16, both are officially in business.
An outpost of beloved local delicatessen City Cottage Market, the Bodega specializes in local grocery and pantry items, with a selection of grab-and-go bites like sandwiches and baked goods. A community hub in its own right, what better business for Brett's to partner with?
After years of back-and-forth, this might just be the location that finally sticks.
Bodega by City Cottage and Brett's Ice Cream are located at 1680 Kingston Rd.
Jesse Milns
