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A long-standing Toronto business has made the difficult decision to sell and close its doors.
The Patrician Grill, located on King Street East, was built in the 1950s and has been a family-owned restaurant since 1967, when it was purchased by Louie and Helen Papas.
Today it’s run by their son Terry and his brother-in-law Chris Slifkas, who say they’ve had several offers to buy and now felt like the right time to retire.
“We’ve been here for so long that the restaurant has become home, and we’ve built great relationships with the customers,” Papas said, adding he recalls his early days in the restaurant as a teenager working shifts with his sister and washing dishes by hand.
The cozy diner has been serving authentic homemade food to George Brown students and local residents for decades. The booths and long 50s style countertop which overlooks the kitchen serves up all day breakfasts, homemade burgers and club sandwiches.
Not a whole lot has changed over the last few decades, but that’s how Papas likes it.
“We’re cash only, I’m kind of old school,” he said.
Customers will miss the friendly service
The diner has been a popular spot for TV shows and music videos, but it’s the warm hospitality that’s been keeping customers like Denise Cass coming back for 35 years.
“It’s just such a great place, they’re so friendly and the food is amazing,” said Cass.
“So many places have closed. It’s going to be very sad to drive down King Street and not see them here anymore.”
Papas said staff have gotten to know their customers and their families well over the years — they even have regular poker nights with some of the diners.
“I’ve seen parents coming in with their kids and now they’re 20 and 30 years old. I’ve watched them grow up, and they’ve seen me grow old too,” he said.
Papas believes it’s that sense of “family” that existed within the restaurant that made the spot stand out and kept them in business as long as they did. He said they’ve been packed since they announced their plan to close, and many customers have expressed they’re sad to see it go.
“People want to be remembered. They don’t want to feel like a number.”
Patrician Grill is officially closing its doors Saturday, May 9th at 2:00 pm.
