Toronto’s top chefs are sharing heartbreaking tributes to the ‘Godfather’ of the city’s food scene, Canada Reviews

If you’ve dined out in Toronto anytime over the last 40 years, you’ve almost certainly eaten in a restaurant built by Franco Prevedello — or at least ordered from a chef he trained.

The legendary restaurateur recently passed away, and while he might not have been a household name to the average diner, he was essentially the ‘Godfather’ of Toronto’s modern culinary scene. Following the news, social media blew up with touching, hilarious, and deeply affectionate tributes from those in the restaurant industry.

To give you an idea of his impact, Prevedello owned or operated over 25 restaurants throughout his career — including beloved spots like Centro, Splendido, Pronto, Biffi, Acrobat and The Carbon Bar. Back when Toronto’s idea of dining out was still pretty staid, Prevedello brought over open kitchens, wood-fired pizza ovens, imported extra virgin olive oil and proper vintages, transforming the city into a legit foodie destination.

He also co-founded Second Harvest, Toronto’s massive food-recovery program, over 35 years ago with his wife, Barbara.

According to a profile detailing his 2024 Rosanna Caira Lifetime Achievement Award by Foodservice and Hospitality magazine, Prevedello was the ultimate host who viewed every night in a restaurant as a theatrical show. He was known to fly his chefs out to California for months at a time just to soak up new culinary trends, and he bought $1,500 leather dining chairs from Italy because he believed a good chair should last a lifetime.

Naturally, the chefs and industry veterans who came up under his wing have endless stories and they took to Instagram to pour one out for their mentor.

Celebrity chef Mark McEwan posted a heartfelt tribute, recalling the days when he took over Pronto: “A sad day saying goodbye to Franco Prevedello, a dear friend and mentor… Franco helped shape Toronto’s restaurant scene, creating places people loved and inspiring generations of chefs and restaurateurs.”

Renowned Toronto chef Marc Thuet posted a tender French-Canadian send-off: “A mentor, a partner, a confidant, a guardian angel and a true friend… This will be such a big hole in my life. I will miss you so much. Merci Mon Ami!!! Rest in peace Franco.”

Restaurant veteran Cameron Dryburgh shared some legendary (and hilarious) insider quotes that sum up Prevedello’s charm and wit: “Sad news… My two favourite quotes were ‘you always have a table, you never have a table’ and when the gangsters showed up ‘make sure they have a great time, just not so good they ever want to come back.’ All of the Franco stories you thought were myths and exaggeration were actually true and somehow understated.”

Even TV personalities like David Rocco chimed in, calling him “a true gentleman and incredible leader and visionary,” while local institutions like Joso’s remembered him simply as “a true icon and legend in our industry.”

Chef Didier Leroy captured Prevedello’s lasting print on the city best: “Franco’s legacy will not only live in the places he created, but in the people, friendships, careers and memories that exist because of him. He will be deeply missed but never forgotten.”

Prevedello may no longer be at the front of the house, but his influence is still all over Toronto’s food scene, particularly among the chefs he helped along the way.