One of GTA's only hibachi restaurants closing Toronto location after 11 years
After more than a decade in downtown Toronto, one of the GTA's few dedicated hibachi and teppanyaki restaurants is gearing up to close its doors for good.
Hibachi Teppanyaki & Bar, located at 550 Wellington St. W., took to its Instagram page this week to announce that its downtown location will be shutting down later this month after 11 years in business.
Over the years and across its multiple locations, the chain has built a loyal following thanks to its live teppanyaki dining experience, where chefs prepare your meals tableside. Since the pandemic, the restaurant has miraculously managed to stay afloat despite a rapidly changing neighbourhood and impacts from the Ontario Line construction.
The area has already witnessed a number of notable businesses disappear over the past several years, including Regulars, Love Child Social House, the Thompson Hotel, and its in-house Thompson Diner, which underwent a major transformation before becoming the 1 Hotel Toronto.
Staff at Hibachi Teppanyaki & Bar shared the news of the closure in a statement, noting that the chain's downtown location "will always hold a special place in our hearts."
Earlier this year, the restaurant publicly raised concerns about what it described as unfair treatment from its landlords, saying that years of construction and access issues had significantly affected its business and impacted its customer flow.
"For nearly two years, our entrance has been blocked, and our Hibachi restaurant sign was removed and never restored. Without clear visibility or proper access, customers have struggled to find us. The impact on our business in the heart of downtown Toronto has been significant," staff wrote.
As a result, the business called on its landlords to restore its signage, improve access to the restaurant's entrance, and provide compensation for damages and losses staff say resulted from the situation.
"Like many small businesses, we survived the pandemic with the help of government support funded by taxpayers. We want to recover, rebuild, and repay what we received. However, we continue to face challenges related to access and visibility," the restaurant shared at the time.
It's unclear whether those visibility and access challenges ultimately played a role in the restaurant's decision to close, but blogTO has reached out for more information.
Although Hibachi's downtown location will bid farewell to the neighbourhood, the restaurant chain continues to operate numerous locations across Ontario, including in Mississauga, Hamilton, Oakville, Vaughan, Scarborough, Barrie, and Cambridge.
Hibachi Teppanyaki & Bar will be closing its doors on June 21.
Elen Marlen/Shutterstock.com
