Peter Street Deli closes after 15 years in the entertainment district
Entertainment district institution Peter Street Deli has closed its doors after 15 years of operation, depriving clubland locals of its famous hybrid of Canadian and Chinese greasy spoon fare.
A sign on the door confirms that the owners have decided to retire. “Thank you for your support and patronage over the past 15 years,” it reads, adding that customers can expect a new restaurant to spring up in the near future.
While the owners did not immediately return our call for comment, the on-line community has been lamenting the restaurant’s closure. “Where am I going to get a delicious club sandwich for under ten dollars now? Or chicken leg specials on Wednesdays? Or fish n chips on Fridays?” wrote one Yelper. “I can’t believe they closed. I’ve been eating there for seven years now :-( Where am I going to get my Chilli Chicken,” wrote another.
Disappointed fans may find solace in the fact that the location will remain food-oriented; a worker at the former restaurant’s site told us that an Ali Baba’s falafel joint will take the deli’s place. No condos will spring up—for now, at least.
Update: We just spoke with Andy Chau, 49, who owned and operated the deli with his parents. Chau says the restaurant had been on the market for nearly a year, and the sale came so suddenly that he didn’t have time to bid farewell to loyal patrons.
“The hard part was to walk away without saying goodbye,” he says. “So I’ve been wandering the streets saying goodbye to people.”
THIS CITY
Obsessive coverage of Toronto, straight to your inbox
