Another Fox and Fiddle location in Toronto closes to make way for swanky social club

A Fox and Fiddle location in Toronto has become the second for the chain to shut down within the space of a week.

The den’s beginning to look a little sparse as another location for the Fox and Fiddle chain which, at the start of this winter, boasted eight locations in Toronto, has bitten the dust.

This time, it’s the chain’s CityPlace location on Fort York Boulevard that’s gotten the axe, taking to their Instagram account on Saturday, Jan. 4, to share a note thanking their regulars for their support and confirming that the following day would be the pub’s last in business.

The closure comes in the wake of the news that the chain’s Church Wellesley Village location, housed in a heritage building and beloved for its regular karaoke nights, had suddenly closed with no more than a few hours’ warning on Dec. 31.

While each Fox and Fiddle location in Toronto and beyond (meaning North Bay and Surrey, B.C.) is independently owned and franchised, the seemingly simultaneous nature of the two closures could lead to the natural assumption that something greater is happening to the business.

At the time of publication, Fox and Fiddle’s corporate team has not responded to blogTO’s request for comment on the apparent trend of the chain’s locations in Toronto closing, but the team behind the CityPlace location offered ample insight into the future of the pub.

Since June 2024, Fox and Fiddle CityPlace has been under the ownership of Reign Company, the same people behind Fox on John, and Reign’s Chief Marketing Officer, Syed Sohail, tells blogTO, “We saw an exciting opportunity to create something truly transformative that aligns with our vision for the future of hospitality in Toronto.”

For Reign, that meant transforming Fox and Fiddle into something entirely new: a day-to-night social club called Charlie Social House.

Syed tells blogTO that the new club will be a “vibrant day-to-night destination,” with the intention of becoming a “cornerstone of the CityPlace community and Toronto’s social scene.”

They’ll be achieving that by offering elevated-yet-accessible cuisine (which will also be accessible in the price department) and curated cocktail offerings in a community hub that’ll host live entertainment and cultural events throughout the year.

The club is currently targeted to open between April and May, so it will be all set in time for the summertime social boom.

With regards to the closure of their fellow Fox and Fiddle sister on Wellesley, Syed tells blogTO that while they were “surprised to hear about the closing of the Wellesley location,” which, he notes, was totally independent of Reign’s own decision to close, they “continue to maintain a positive and collaborative relationship with them.”

Fox and Fiddle CityPlace was located at 17 Fort York Boulevard.