Family-run Toronto shop closes after almost 90 years of business

A long-standing, family-operated Toronto business has closed its doors after nearly nine decades.

Toronto Barber and Beauty Supply (TBBS), formerly located at the corner of Bay and Dundas, had been cutting hair and supplying professional products since first opening in 1937.

In its third generation, the shop has stayed in the same family since day one. Owner David Kaufman tells blogTO that his grandparents, Isaac and Sarah Kaufman, opened the business at 100 Dundas St. W after his grandfather began selling barber supplies from a truck in 1932.

Toronto Barber & Beauty Shop from "back in the day." Photo courtesy of TBBS.    

But keeping the downtown shop alive hasn't been easy in recent years.

"We kept the store open coming out of COVID only for legacy purposes, because we own the building," Kauffman says. "I got a huge tariff hit last year, so a lot of things were pointing in [this] direction."

Regardless of the challenges, TBBS held onto a deeply loyal customer base. Many online are calling the closure an "end of an era," while others who had been getting their hair cut there for 40 years say they'll miss the shop.

Kaufman's store joins a growing list of longstanding family businesses that have shuttered in 2026, including a dry cleaning shop that closed after 60 years. 

For the past 35 years, TBBS has also operated a massive 21,000-square-foot warehouse on Orfus Rd., serving as a wholesale hub for salons, carrying big brands like Kevin Murphy and ELEVEN Australia.

That location is also set to close for good by the end of April, Kaufman confirms. His daughter, Morgan, who handles all social media for the business, calls it a "very bittersweet" moment.

But Kauffman isn't retiring to sip margaritas on a beach just yet. He plans to keep busy by selling hair products online and managing multiple buildings downtown, including the Bay and Dundas property.

In the meantime, customers can still visit the warehouse over the next few weeks to stock up on discounted inventory while supplies last.

As for what might take over the Bay and Dundas corner, Kaufman hints that a new restaurant could be in the works.