(Photo by Karon Liu)
Though critics often dismiss Toronto for never being able to stand alongside London, Tokyo or Paris (City TV likes to remind us by playing the “Toronto is just like New York, but without all the stuff” promo for 30 Rock every 10 minutes), one good thing about being a mid-sized city is that our downtown core hasn’t turned into a Vegas-style tourist trap like Times Square or Shibuya. The recent closure of the garish Florida import Miami Subs shows that in Toronto, independent cafés, bars that seat fewer than 20, and family-run restaurants tend to triumph over the flashy and faddish. Here are nine chain imports that failed to flourish in the city. We’re saving the 10th spot for Cold Stone Creamery.
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- (Photo by Tim Shore via blogto.com)
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- (Photo by Ola Christian Gundelsby)
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- (Photo by Cursed Thing)
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- (Photo by Amy)
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- (Photo by Joe Shiabotnik)
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- (Photo by Karon Liu)
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- (Photo by Terry Ross)
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- (Photo by Krista)
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- (Photo by Yusuke Kawasaki)
I would love it if they would open a “Cheesecake Factory” in Toronto. There were rumours a few years ago, but nothing came of it. The lineups at the locations south of the border seem to indicate a passion for the place, especially in malls, and Torontonians make pilgrimages when in Buffalo or Miami, so why not give it a shot? (The choice of mall restos is dismal in TO…food courts…feh!)
December 23, 2009 at 6:57 am | by estherwhere in gods name do you people get your facts from???
December 17, 2011 at 12:42 pm | by mark vecseythe olive garden closed in ontario & quebec in 1997 due to
a one time tax write down of foreign assets by darden restaurants. all of them were doing over 3 million a year in sales which was double that of most chain restaurants at the time and people lined up for over an hour to get a table. was the food authentic italian…absolutely…created for the american pallet in the olive garden culinary institute in italy near rocca della macie who is there wine partner. come on … do your research before you print crap…..we still eat at the olive garden in amherst ny… and the other 4 in the buffalo area…the food and service is still amazing!!!!