(Image: Amber Dawn Pullin)
Leslieville’s Red Rocket Coffee has been forced to close up shop after its landlord doubled the rent to $49 per square foot. Co-owner Liako Dertilis says the response from his regulars has been immediate. “The TTC guys across the street are livid,” he told us, referring to the workers at the nearby streetcar yard. The news, however, isn’t all bad. Along with his business partners, Dertilis signed a lease late this afternoon for a new location at 1364 Danforth Avenue, near Coxwell. Although Red Rocket’s new home will be a similar size, Dertilis says it won’t be the same. “We have to leave our extended family—that is, our customers,” he said. “These are the people who come into the store, and we hug them… We feel like we’ve been robbed of that.” The Wellesley Street location is unaffected.
As a new entrepreneur I’m CRUSHED to hear this. Love Red Rocket and they will be missed. $49/sqft really?
November 18, 2011 at 7:51 pm | by LisaSo sad. We will miss the best coffee shop on Queen St. East. We will be sure to frequent your new home – I guess our new walking route will be to Danforth east!
November 18, 2011 at 9:26 pm | by Kevin & Tanya$49/sqft? what are you charging us for coffee beans?
November 18, 2011 at 11:47 pm | by taraThis is really bad news.. there are a lot of regulars that hang out there. It’s a great little place in the middle of nowhere. I shot my short film Urban Zombies there and love the staff and the place. If I lived nearby I would be hanging out there all the time. sad to see neighbourhood joints get financed out. This place was a well run little machine.
November 19, 2011 at 7:10 am | by LindaSuch sad news as I live in this neighbourhood. My yoga business was squeezed out of that building 3 years ago for the very same reason. Pam and Liaco are awesome proprietors and I wish them the very best.
November 19, 2011 at 8:00 am | by SheilaOh this is too bad, it`s my fave coffee place in the `hood. But wish you well in your new location. This space has often been empty, and bet it sits empty again for a long time at those prices. I really thought RR was here to stay. boo hoo.
November 19, 2011 at 9:43 am | by staceyThis is sad news for Leslieville but AMAZING news for us on this stretch of Danforth! Welcome!
November 19, 2011 at 2:26 pm | by JenLoved the Rocket but haven’t been there in a long time as their hours had the store closing at 6pm – too early for it to be an option for myself and many others. Great staff, great food, and good snacks. Looking forward to the new location.
November 20, 2011 at 12:13 am | by JesseWe are so sad to see our bestie neighbours move!! Queen & Greenwood will never be the same. Greatest luck with the move and your new digs. Danforth is a lucky street.
xoxo
November 20, 2011 at 9:13 am | by The Ten SpotAll of the Red Rocket junkies from The Ten Spot
Leslieville
I love the RR – and think the landlord sucks for being so damn greedy.
Sorrily missed.
November 20, 2011 at 10:53 am | by amanda jWe are all so upset about losing our coffee shop and we will travel up to go to the one on the danforth, it is so frusterating that there is nothing we can do to convince the landlord to reconsider and work with the red rocket- we would do anything to help and fight this if we could!
November 20, 2011 at 6:58 pm | by ErinHow about voting in politicians who will put a stop the the condo blight that’s destroying businesses like Red Rocket Coffee? And not voting in morons like Rob Ford?
November 20, 2011 at 9:46 pm | by Khyronuh, how exactly are condos destroying businesses? if anything they provide more customers
this location had a turnover of a bunch of sketchy tenants prior to Red Rocket setting up shop, same goes for Queen Margherita. This is pure greed by the landlord and i hope it backfires on them when the place sits vacant for years
November 21, 2011 at 9:56 am | by joeThat’s very sad to hear! RR is responsible for more businesses moving to this area. I hear that this Landlord is a really fat greedy pig by all his former tenants. He also owns another building at 1192 QSE at Curzon and forced tenants out of that building with crazy rents. $49 PSF? Get real!! Someone should find out who this pig of an owner is.
November 21, 2011 at 10:16 am | by Jakeyes, that’s it “Khyron”, it’s all Rob Fords fault. This is a *city*. If you want the small-town experience where time stands still, then move to a small town.
November 21, 2011 at 10:56 am | by Rusty