Charles Khabouth Photograph courtesy of INK Entertainment
Charles Khabouth
Restaurateur
21For most restaurateurs, opening four places in 12 months would be unthinkable. For Khabouth, who owns or manages 16 restaurants, bars and clubs across the city, it’s just another year. He unveiled new TIFF hotspot Figo, craft brewery Batch, Mexican joint Macho Radio Bar and a Dubai outpost of Weslodge, the saloon he opened here in 2014. Khabouth’s trick has been launching restaurants that change how Torontonians eat, rather than catering to existing appetites. His most ambitious project of the year was revamping the Sound Academy into a sleek, VIP-friendly venue, now called Rebel.
Up next:
Bisha, Khabouth’s 44-storey hotel and condo building in the Entertainment District, will open in 2017.
![](http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https://torontolife.com/city/toronto-50-most-influential-2016-charles-khabouth/&title=Toronto’s 50 Most Influential: #21, Charles Khabouth&picture=https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/charles-khabouth.jpg&description=[caption id="attachment_405165" align="alignnone" width="1000"] Charles Khabouth [/caption]
Charles Khabouth
Restaurateur
21For most restaurateurs, opening four places in 12 months would be unthinkable. For Khabouth, who owns or manages 16 restaurants, bars and clubs across the city, it’s just another year. He unveiled new TIFF hotspot Figo, craft brewery Batch, Mexican joint Macho Radio Bar and a Dubai outpost of Weslodge, the saloon he opened here in 2014. Khabouth’s trick has been launching restaurants that change how Torontonians eat, rather than catering to existing appetites. His most ambitious project of the year was revamping the Sound Academy into a sleek, VIP-friendly venue, now called Rebel.
Up next: Bisha, Khabouth’s 44-storey hotel and condo building in the Entertainment District, will open in 2017.
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