Frings Toronto

Drake and Susur Lee's restaurant Fring's is closing

Staff at the popular King West restaurant Fring's — best known for being endorsed by Drake — have reportedly been told the restaurant is closing.

One of the restaurant's employees confirmed the news by phone on Friday evening, saying that rumours of the restaurant's impending closure are true.

It was Toronto restaurant industry doyen Chef Grant Soto, however, who made the first public announcement via Instagram Stories.

"I'm hearing a rumour that a King Street restaurant that I've long had a tumultuous relationship with is closing," he wrote around 6 p.m. "I'm not gonna say who it is yet. But on an unrelated note, here's a pic of some FRINGS."

A short time later, he followed up with this:

Frings Grant Soto

Screenshot of Chef Grant Soto's Instagram Stories post announcing the closure of Fring's.

While much hyped when it first opened in the fall of 2015, Fring's has seen its fair share of trouble in recent years.

Most recently, three of the restaurant's owners — celebrity chef Susur Lee and his sons Kai and Levi Bent-Lee — came under fire for taking tips from staff members to pay for kitchen mistakes, spilled drinks and even dine-and-dashers.

As it turns out, Lee's "IOU Policy" was totally illegal.  

Fring's also had its liquor license suspended last spring such for violations as exceeding capacity and promoting "immoderate consumption." 

An official date for the closure has yet to be announced, but the restaurant remains open as of Friday night.

Lead photo by

Jesse Milns


Latest Videos



Latest Videos


Join the conversation Load comments

Latest in Eat & Drink

Toronto man's side hustle making calzones leads to new restaurant gig

Toronto bakery known for its croissants opening second location

There's a food festival in Toronto for a good cause next month

Ontario restaurant has people obsessing over its fried chicken

Toronto has a new street food market in a surprising location

The history of what was once Toronto's most luxurious restaurant

Thousands of people want to boycott Loblaws stores 'indefinitely'

One of the most anticipated Toronto restaurants of the year is now open