Restaurant on a popular Toronto street closing its last standalone location
A Toronto restaurant that's been a stalwart on a buzzy Toronto street for 13 years will soon be closing permanently.
On June 3, less than a year after it was announced that La Cubana, a pioneering Toronto Cuban restaurant, would be closing its original Roncesvalles location (which was swiftly scooped up by Proper), the restaurant announced it will soon be closing its Ossington brick-and-mortar, too.
Opening in 2013, the sister location quickly became the more visible of what was then two La Cubana locations, thanks to its desirable location on the buzzy Ossington strip between Argyle and Queen West.
For co-owners and siblings Pablo and Corinna Mozo (the latter of whom acts as the chef of the operation), the history of the Ossington location goes back even further than its time as La Cubana, spending six years as Delux before that.
After nearly 20 years on Ossington, though, Pablo and Corinna have made the difficult decision to say goodbye later this month, explaining their decision in a heartfelt Instagram post.
"This is certainly a sad day for us and difficult to fathom. After struggling through the pandemic, subsequent inflation, high food costs, tax, insurance and energy increases, many weather events, and other factors, it has simply become unsustainable," Pablo explains in the caption of the post.
"So many of us have enjoyed the incredible flavours that my sister, chef Corinna Mozo, created for La Cubana. We have delighted in all the anniversaries, engagements, first dates, kids' birthday parties that so many of you have celebrated here. We are truly going to miss all of you and will remember those experiences fondly."
Pablo goes on to explain that, above all, he and Corinna feel sadness for their staff, who he describes as "the most wonderful people."
"They have stuck with us through it all and I really want to say a heartfelt thank you for everything," he writes.
The good news? La Cubana's location in The Well doesn't appear to be going anywhere for the time being, plus Pablo teases new future endeavours in the Instagram post. Still, the closure marks the end of an era on Ossington.
La Cubana's last day of operation at 92 Ossington Ave. is slated for June 28.
Hector Vasquez
