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Thursday, May 2, 2013

Closings Koo-E Nami closes

Dresden Row's Korean BBQ resto signs off via social media

Posted by Allison Saunders on Thu, May 2, 2013 at 12:12 PM

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If you find yourself yearning for an extended dinner of Korean eats, cooked over a table-top grill—you've got one less option as of today. Last night via Twitter and Facebook, Koo-E Nami Royale Grill (1536 Dresden Row, 425-4411)—known not just for its BBQ but its noodle dishes, salad bar, traditional and contemporary Korean cuisine—announced it had served its last meal. The family run resto is selling off the utensils, dishes and grills that have been serving its meals since June 2011, today from noon until 6pm.

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Monday, April 29, 2013

Closings Pogue Fado says so long

A decade of foot stomping and beer drinking later, Barrington's Irish bar says Slainte

Posted by Allison Saunders on Mon, Apr 29, 2013 at 10:10 PM

click to enlarge

All signs point to closed

Weekends on Barrington Street just got a whole lot quieter. After over 10 years of offering a venue for rowdy nightlife, live music and quality pub grub, the Pogue Fado announced today via Facebook that it'd be closing its doors permanently, effective immediately. This is a pretty shocking blow to the bar scene, mourned loud and clear across social media tonight.

"After a decade of business, today we bid you farewell. A long and careful evaluation of our position indicates to us, like it has to others in our industry, that moving forward given the current business environment downtown simply doesn't make sense," said the post from the pub's owners this evening. "As owners, we are happy and proud of Pogue Fado Irish Public House and of all those among you who have made it possible. We are grateful for the past ten years and all it has given us; you have our heartfelt thanks."

Tonight we're drinking to the memory of the Pogue, it's long lineups, very Irish stamina and its long (and seemingly popular) run as a lively fixture on Barrington Street.

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Tags: slainte, Pogue Fado, Barrington Street, Image

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Friday, July 30, 2010

Closings Hungry Chili to close

Posted by Tim Bousquet on Fri, Jul 30, 2010 at 4:02 PM

Hungry Chili will close at the end of August, victim of cascading business relocation. First, Curry Village expanded into the Dresden Row space once occupied by Baan Thai, and the owners of Baan Thai moved into the upstairs of the Blower Street building occupied by Hungry Chili. "He offered to buy us out," explains Hungry Chili's Molly Lee, "but it wasn't enough money." As Lee tells it, what followed was six months of problematic reconstruction of the building, resulting in reduced sales, and Hungry Chili decided to see the restaurant through to the end of the lease, then to close.

Asked if relocation is in the offering, Lee says no. "Seven years is enough."

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Tags: Hungry Chili, Baan Thai, Curry Village

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Saturday, May 1, 2010

Closings / Openings / Restos, Bars and Cafés Five Fishermen up in the grill

Posted by Carsten Knox on Sat, May 1, 2010 at 4:00 AM

The legendary seafood restaurant Five Fishermen (1740 Argyle Street, 422-4421) is now undergoing changes. Their downstairs section, once known as Little Fish Restaurant & Oyster Bar, has closed and will soon to be replaced by something called Five Fishermen Bar & Grill, to open in June following renovations.

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Friday, April 9, 2010

Closings / Openings Spartan Closes, Louly’s opens

Posted by Carsten Knox on Fri, Apr 9, 2010 at 4:00 AM

A fixture on Quinpool for over four decades, the Spartan Restaurant (6403 Quinpool Road, 429-6858) will close on Monday, April 12. “Right now we’re going to take it easy,” says co-owner Maria Kyreakakos about her and her husband Nick’s retirement plans. With help from their son Peter, they’ve run the popular eatery on the corner of Oxford and Quinpool for 44 years. “Later we might take a trip to Greece. We haven’t decided yet.” She says she’ll miss her customers, who she calls “the best,” especially the younger folks who kept the place humming. “Lots of university students came through here. I treated them like my own boys.”

The business has been sold to the family of Roqaya Abel Hameid. Following renovations, Hameid and her parents will open a new casual eatery with an Egyptian theme called Louly’s Restaurant: Authentic Egyptian Cuisine. “It will have a family environment,” says Hameid, who says to expect traditional Canadian breakfast items along with Egyptian and Mediterranean dishes for breakfast, lunch and dinner, including seafood, meat dishes and plenty of vegetarian selections. “There’ll be everything for everyone on the menu,” she says.

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Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Closings / Restos, Bars and Cafés Anatolia Closes

Posted by Carsten Knox on Wed, Mar 24, 2010 at 4:00 AM

Their phone has been giving us the busy signal for days. Not good. Yes, we're sad to report the tasty Turkish cuisine at Anatolia’s is now history. The silver lining in this cloud are the signs in the window that proclaim “Mõda Urban Dining, Opening Soon.”

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Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Closings / Restos, Bars and Cafés Carlitos closes

Posted by Carsten Knox on Tue, Mar 23, 2010 at 4:00 AM

They’re calling it “The Last Shot of Espresso,” when Carlitos Café (6220 Quinpool Road) shuts down at the end of the day, Saturday, March 27. The most recent casualty in a rash of business closings, the popular Quinpool coffee shop saw five years of business on the well-travelled thoroughfare. However, all may not be lost: Owner Carlos Wong is in talks with his landlord who may be interested in purchasing the business outright and running it himself. Watch this space for the gathering foam of information as it runneth over our media cup.

Updated Wednesday, March 24, 12:10pm

We heard from Carlos Wong, who gave us a little more information on the circumstances of the closing of Carlitos. "Our lease is over at the end of this month," he explains, saying that the new lease had a rent increase too high for him to continue in business at this location. "A little bit drastic," is how he puts it. As for the possibility of the landlord buying the business, Wong is hopeful, but still waiting to hear.

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Friday, March 19, 2010

Closings / Restos, Bars and Cafés Trinity closes

Posted by Carsten Knox on Fri, Mar 19, 2010 at 4:00 AM

Trinity Restaurant at the corner of Clyde and South Park has closed “due to the economy” according to the outgoing phone message, a message that also thanks customers for their patronage over the five years the eatery was in business.

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Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Closings / Restos, Bars and Cafés Central Grill closes

Posted by Carsten Knox on Tue, Mar 2, 2010 at 4:00 AM

“Burn-out,” says Evangelos Panopalis, giving a reason for the closure of The Central Grill (6303 Quinpool Road), a steakhouse the restaurateur started last summer when he moved his other business, Greek eatery Athens (6273 Quinpool Road) into the former Quincy’s space up the block. “I was working 15 hours a day,” says Panopalis. “It wasn’t fun. I spent the last year walking back and forth between the restaurants. So I made a very personal decision” to close the grill. If that sounds heavy, Panopolis is quick to point out he’s feeling pretty good about the whole thing. “It was very positive for me. I’m the Athens guy. I enjoy the lifestyle of running a restaurant.” The key phrase being “a restaurant,” not “two restaurants.”

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Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Closings / Openings / Restos, Bars and Cafés Restaurants closing and staying open

Posted by Carsten Knox on Wed, Feb 24, 2010 at 4:00 AM

Shoptalk is disappointed to report that TwelveFortyOne (1241 Barrington Street) has closed. It was the restaurant that sprung up with the sudden departure of star chef Ray Bear. But definitely not closed is the Rock Island Café (6293 Quinpool Road, 406-4385). Though Shoptalk reported earlier in February that the business is up for lease, owner Kahlid Awasi explains that the intent is to find a capable restaurant runner who would be interested in coming aboard to operate the business, while Awasi is actually considering opening other locations of the Bermudan eatery. He reiterates that in the meantime the restaurant is still very much open, with plans afoot to offer student discounts in the near future. So drop in and try one of their delicious fish cakes, chicken pies or rotis, and wash it down with some Caribbean punch and/or pop.

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Monday, February 16, 2009

Closings / Restos, Bars and Cafés Staff of Life cafe closes

Quinpool Street retail shop closes, but wholesale business is booming and moving to a bigger bakery.

Posted by Andy Murdoch on Mon, Feb 16, 2009 at 2:47 PM

Well, some sad news for cafe habitues at the Staff of Life on Quinpool. The Cafe closed its doors for good February 5th.

But, if you are addicted to Staff's high class samosas and artisanal breads, you don't have to worry. Owner Manouch Babaei is not getting out of that business. On the contrary, he is expanding.

"I'm not a retail person, I am more of a wholesale person," Babaei says. He bought the long running business five years ago and says he's made it 20 or 30 times bigger than before, largely on the sale of his samosas. (An aside: how does he manage to make them so ungreasy? He won't tell.) Samosa sales are going up, up, up and he's planning a wholesome new range of breads, catering to people with food allergies.

Babaei bought a warehouse on Maynard Street and right now he is overseeing its major renovation. He hopes the big move will take place in three months. The Staff of Life wholesale business, selling to little shops like the Indian Grocery (220 Volts) on Robie and supermarkets like Pete's Frootique or Great Ocean will continue as usual with no interruptions. Contact the Staff of Life at 422-7799.