zakkushi toronto

Izakaya restaurant shuts down Toronto location after dispute

After a tumultuous back-and-forth with their landlord, a Toronto location of a popular Japanese Izakaya chain has permanently closed.

After only a little over 5 years in business, Queen West's Zakkushi location has closed — seemingly for good.

After a closure notice appeared on the 62o Queen West restaurant's front door announcing the seizure of the property by its landlord due to non-payment of rent, the chain quickly responded with a post on Instagram, apologizing to patrons for the inconvenience.

The apologetic caption on the Instagram post states that the restaurant will remain closed until further notice but, as of the time of publication, it remains closed, and it looks like it'll stay that way.

Zakkushi, which operates as a series of independently franchised locations in Vancouver and Toronto, now only lists their original Toronto location on Carlton on their website.

The bar, with an impressive yet cozy interior gained popularity in the neighbourhood and beyond for its selection of succulent grilled meats and noodle dishes, along with a selection of sake and desserts.

Lead photo by

Hector Vasquez


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