RIP, Le Gourmand: Toronto’s acclaimed cookiemonger goes out of business

sounds like this guy could use some cash – someone a little more business minded should buy his recipes and run their own place.

I have lived in the neighbourhood for nearly 5 years, and a le Gourmand coffee was the start to nearly every day.

I am truly distraught as I refuse to drink the swill from Starbucks & Second cup and don’t want to shell out 3$ for an Americano at Dark Horse, nor be given attitude at Spice Safar. Lettieri?? What am I to do.

PLLLLLEAASSE come back.

Wow..I could not believed it when I saw the yonge/eg out of business & eviction notice @ Spadina/richmond? Crazy! Loved the coffee,food & the bread pudding was awesome. Was quite overpriced in some offerings though but nevertheless, RIP.

why can this city not maintain support for establishments like this… beyond the food, great staff, great atmosphere, great reviews and line-ups out the door? then again.. maybe the question should be,,, how can you run a business with such potential into the ground?

Used to go to the Y&B location for lunch or mid day coffee. Service always marginal. Mostly they didn’t care. Prices for lunch off the charts. If you are going to premium price it, then spare me the indifferent service from stoned / rude / too cool staff. Too bad. I hear the rent at YB was $12k/month. So probably unsustainable from the start.

Serves him right!! It’s called paying your taxes Milton HAHAHAHAHA….and he did treat the staff horribly!! I’ll miss all those people thogh. :(

So sad. Best food this side of Victoria and Vancouver. Hope you can come back with a new business model. We’re waiting for you.

I checked out the Yonge-Eglinton location once and found it lacking choice, overpriced and unappealing.

Why do people say over-priced food? Perhaps it was a fair price for good quality. If you want to pay less, go to Subway and eat nitrates. I’m sad to see them closed. I loved the quiche at Queen & Spadina! And even though there were always line ups, I can’t help but think that Sandwich Box may have taken too much of their lunch business?

I quite enjoyed the food at he Yonge & Bloor food court. The salman sandwhich was delicious as was the lasagna. I’m sorry to hear about the closure.

I’m gonna wear a black armband all week at work. I LOVED their goat cheese salad. R.I.P.

The staffing thing is ALWAYS a headache – you get one good person for 6 crappy n’er do wells. AND everyone always looks like they have potential by the 2nd interview – so the comments about staff aside – the rent is killer @ y&e so best to throw the chips in.The other locations – high rent too, so time to call it a day.

Sounds like the owner is tired – too much to do, crappy staff, and very little return on a superior product.

Get a website, charge to download the recipes and get out to the country and grow your own food.

In five years you will be so glad you did – when all the whiners in the city discover that they are in a much different world of supply chains…..

as someone who recently moved into the adjoining minto condo, the position of the le gourmand was perfect as we used it constantly; i’m devastated to learn that they’re now officially gone, although the place has been shuttered up for some months now, so am not surprised. the problem was, whilst a great concept and location, a combination of the lack of service, the lack of an interesteing range of items on the menu, the generally medicre food and the unfriendliness of the staff made the above somewhat inevitable. sadly inevitable as it could have been turned-around and saved, it had built up a lot of goodwill already.

Great big dissapointment. Best Indian food, best lamb, best waldorf salad….and best chefs and service…Bloor and Yonge location…what could ever replace it?..
It was worth every penny I spent there, I was being fed well!

LE GOURMAND IS BACK!
http://foodhogger.com/