Iconic Toronto tattoo shop that's been around for more than 20 years is closing for good

TCB Tattoo, which has been a fixture in downtown Toronto for more than two decades, is set to shut down permanently at the end of this year, with owners citing a slew of difficulties that have made it impossible to run the shop in the city any longer.

The parlour opened on Queen West all the way back in 2001, with Andres Merrill and Scott McEwan at the helm. But after two moves and a decline in business over the last few years, Merrill, now the sole owner, is calling it quits.

"It's time to call it a day," he wrote in a no-frills Instagram story announcement earlier this fall. "We'll be closing late December. Still plenty of time to come get tattooed or buy some of the shop art."

TCB announced its forthcoming closure in an Instagram story earlier this fall.

Behind the decision is Merrill's waning clientele, which is something that never recovered after the massive blow of months of forced closures during COVID. The current cost of living crisis is also prompting many in the city to tighten their budgets, cutting out expenses that aren't absolutely necessary.

There is also the way the industry has pivoted, with Instagram being a huge driver of publicity for certain artists who manage to book out months or even years in advance as a result.

"Social media taking over hasn't helped either," he tells blogTO, noting that the business hasn't quite managed to build up a following like other tattoo spots — and individual tattooers — in the area have.

"Unfortunately it's a whole bunch of stuff all at once," he says, adding that he hopes to continue to tattoo.

TCB will remain open on the second floor of 319 Queen St. W. until December 23.