Toronto restaurateur reminds us to support older restaurants if we want them to survive

Despite persevering for more than a decade, Haitian restaurant Rhum Corner is struggling to stay afloat and facing a possible closure, according to its owner and Toronto restaurateur Jen Agg, who penned an honest letter to the restaurant’s patrons last week. 

Agg is the name and talent behind several other Toronto restaurants and bars, including Grey Gardens, Le Swan, Cocktail Bar, Bar Vendetta, and General Public. 

Along with her husband and artist, Ronald Jean, Agg opened up Rhum Corner in 2013. The name was inspired by Jean, who often drank rum and Cokes at Cocktail Bar, serving them up for friends in the corner. 

The restaurant quickly grew to become Jean’s home away from home, as well as a place where he could showcase his art, connect with his Haitian culture, and listen to Kompa music. 

Menu items at Rhum Corner include quick snacks like salt cod patties, macaroni au gratin, and griot (street style) as well as large plates featuring cashew chicken, oxtail and bean sauce, boulettes, and Haitian fried chicken. 

The restaurant offers a ton of rum-based cocktails to help wash your meal down and is also one of the only places in the city where you’ll find fresco — a Haitian treat that combines shaved ice with a thick, sweet syrup. 

Last week, Agg shared an honest note with her Instagram followers and Rhum Corner’s loyal customers, explaining that the business has been struggling for some time. 

“Rhum is busy when you come there on the weekends, that is not how the metrics of restaurants work, you need to be busy every day that you’re open, or at least 80 per cent of the time,” Agg wrote. “I suspect it’s not just Rhum Corner…it’s all sorts of supposedly beloved older restaurants.” 

The restaurateur explained to blogTO that businesses pay a price to keep their doors open every day, considering obvious elements like labour and cost of goods, as well as unseen factors such as rent and utilities. 

“If you’re just breaking even, or worse, not even breaking even, it doesn’t work,” she said. “It’s an 11-year-old restaurant so this isn’t necessarily all that surprising but we know how beloved it is, and I just wanted to remind people that if they don’t support it on the off days, it just won’t be there anymore.” 

In the post, Agg discloses that Jean experienced a stroke in 2020, which has affected his ability to paint, and now fears what he will do without the restaurant if it cannot stay open.

“I truly don’t know how we make it through another winter and it feels kind of crazy to try. But both Roland and I are paralyzed by this decision, and don’t feel ready to make it. It’s such an important space for him,” Agg wrote. 

“It’s almost impossible for me to imagine what he will do without a place to connect with his good memories of Haiti.” 

Despite all the obstacles ahead, Agg told blogTO that she remains committed to keeping the restaurant open. 

“I love my husband, and this space is deeply important to both of us. But obviously, especially important to him as it acts as a portal to his best memories of Haiti. And it gives him a lot of joy,” she explained. 

“I am not willing to give up on something that brings him joy so easily. And it’s also so important to the Haitian diaspora living in Toronto. Beyond that, it’s a Black-centric restaurant on a strip that is mostly white-centric (with of course some exceptions). I’m ready to fight for it!” 

Almost immediately, the comments section of Agg’s post was filled with messages of support from loyal customers, who vowed to visit the restaurant regularly. 

“This is a reality a lot of restaurants and small food businesses have been facing. Very vulnerable and brave of you to speak about it, shows how much you truly love Rhum and Roland,” one person wrote. 

“I haven’t been in so long. I feel guilty for getting swept up in a mix of new spots and old haunts and forgetting so many special longstanding places that hold special memories and life moments, and make this city what it is,” another comment reads. 

Agg says the outpouring of love on social media has been overwhelming. “My post has been seen by over 100,000 people, which is kind of wild. And then to have them answer the call and actually show up to the restaurant is just extremely heartwarming,” she said. 

“I don’t know that it’s more than a temporary fix but it’s certainly nice to see that people love Rhum just as much as we do, they just needed a reminder. I think for older restaurants it’s really easy for the general public to assume they will be there forever. And they really won’t be without support!” 

Despite trying numerous ways to stay afloat, Agg says the restaurant’s team is “very close” to giving up. 

“I get the people love shiny new things, (I just opened a new restaurant so obviously I want people to go to it!) But if we don’t protect our legacy places, they will disappear and things will get very, very corporate. That’s not the city I want to live in,” she told blogTO. 

Rhum Corner is located at 926 Dundas St. W. and is open on Tuesday to Thursday from 6 p.m. to 12 a.m. and Friday to Saturday from 6 p.m. to 1 a.m.