2012 Look Back: Openings

2012 was another big year for new businesses in the area. Some opened with controversy, and some with great fanfare. Here’s a recap of the new retailers and restaurants in Ossington Village.

Unleashed in the City opened in March, bringing joy to dog owners with their walking and boarding service, and a retail store with toys, snacks and other useful wares for pet owners.

Also in March, Philip Sparks shut down his pop-up and opened a beautiful store for his designs on Foxley just behind Ideal Coffee. He’s having some great sales for Boxing Day, so go check it out.

The Grove, just west of Ossington at 1214 Dundas West, also opened in March. It has since been lauded as one of the best restaurants in the city, so if you haven’t tried it, make a reservation.

In April, some long awaited and some controversial restaurants opened. The Saint, which had been in the works for a few years, finally opened at 227 Ossington. Their bacon-laden breakfast is recommended!

Despite some fearful neighbors, Hawker Bar also opened in April, and they remain very popular for Singaporean street food and no crowds out front.

Bellwoods Brewery made the April restaurant openings a trifecta, and the popularity of the restaurant and the retail store means they are already working on expanding.

Town Moto brought motorcycles and associated gear to the neighborhood in May, and in June, Rescue Vintage started selling beautiful clothing and jewelry at 102 Ossington.

Another business that opened in June is Get Well Bar, a local craft beer bar on Dundas West, followed by lots of new retailers and restaurants in July. Quinta, The Arrow Cafe and Bridge and Bardot launched on Dundas West near Ossington, and Amaya Express opened an outpost at 108 Ossington.

Showing that Ossington isn’t just restaurants and retail, The Lot Stand Up Comedy Club opened within the Lower Ossington Theatre in August, and still continues to offer stand up and other comedy shows on weekends.

Our neighborhood continues to see new businesses flourishing. Ending the year with a bang, Rock Lobster Food Co has opened to great success, followed quickly by the late night snacks and drinks bar Oddseoul. We also noted Buffer Nails and Waxing at 123 Ossington, Gravity Pope and Stussy bringing fashion to the Queen and Ossington corridor, and Teo from Union Restaurant‘s exciting new butcher and gourmet foods enterprise, Cote de Bouef.

We are lucky to live in this neighborhood and enjoy all of these new and established businesses around the corner. Just 5 years ago, we traveled a lot further for everything we can access nearby today. And we’re sure, living in changing Toronto, that there are more to come. If we get even half of what we got in 2012, we’ll consider that a success.

We are still waiting to see who is taking over the spaces formerly occupied by Paramour, Goed Eten and Beau Lieu Bistro, and we’re sure there are more to come in 2013. We’ll be watching, and please, let us know what you see!