Two long-standing local businesses in a Toronto neighbourhood are about to get taken over by some exciting tenants.
It’s never easy to see cherished local businesses — especially those that have been fixtures for years — close down, and even less so to see someone else move in; especially when it all too frequently ends up being the fifth cannabis dispensary in a 2-kilometre radius, or a new location of a chain no one really asked for.
In the case of Leslieville, though, it just so happens that two beloved businesses that have closed their doors in the past year or so have both been scooped up by new tenants, and they’re both small, local businesses.
As a one-time east side resident for many years, when Reliable Fish and Chips shut down after nearly 100 years, I was absolutely shattered. Did I eat there frequently? No, but something about the loss of such a lengthy history really struck me deep.
Months after the closure was officially announced, though, some deeply exciting news has emerged that blows my lingering melancholy out of the water: the old fish and chip shop’s location will soon be replaced by Masa Deli’s second location.
A Dovercourt staple for the past two years, Masa Deli serves up what are indesputably some of the best breakfast sandwiches in the city, alongside a lunch service of Mexican-inspired sandwiches and burritos that somehow taste even better than they look.
“I spent a lot of time in the East End last summer, mainly Leslieville, and I fell in love with it,” Masa Deli owner Reza Azucena tells me. “The old restored buildings, the nice green space, but most importantly, the people. I find the West End recycles restaurants and puts crazy emphasis on new trendy things, whereas in the East End, there are lovely spots that have existed for 10 [or more] years that are buzzing.”
After spending so much time in the east end, Reza tells me, he felt the need to give something back to the community, “and if that’s just some sandwiches and a chill space to be,” he says, “I’m okay with that.”
Reza tells me that the prospect of opening a new location was a scary one, not only because the restaurant industry is notoriously a tumultuous one, but because he feels as though so much of Masa Deli’s charm lies in its Dovercourt location and the community it has fostered.
I am almost certainly biased, but with a quaint space like the old fish and chip shop and a community like Leslieville on his side, he’s got nothing to worry about.
The new location, Reza tells me, will feature a menu of classics as well as some fun new offerings to differentiate the two locations, including late-night eats and drinks. Right now, they’re aiming to open up in May.
Joining Masa Deli in Leslieville will be a new cocktail and snack bar called Bar Mini, which is taking over the equally charming space that has recently been vacated by Greta Solomon’s, a French bistro that served the community a menu of elevated comfort classics for nearly a decade.
While the finer details about Bar Mini, including its exact opening date, are under wraps for the time being, an early outpouring of support from local businesses and residents alike on the bar’s social media suggests that it’ll almost certainly be a welcome addition.
It’s been said that spring is the season of rebirth, and this certainly seems to be the case in Leslieville, and, as a neighbourhood whose street cred has been steadily simmering for the past decade or so, that’s actually a really good thing.
Masa Deli will be located at 954 Queen East, and Bar Mini at 1118 Queen East.
