Rising rents on Queen East push out Red Rocket Coffee, which is moving to the Danforth instead
Leslieville’s Red Rocket Coffee has been forced to close up shop after its landlord doubled the rent to $49 per square foot. Co-owner Liako Dertilis says the response from his regulars has been immediate. “The TTC guys across the street are livid,” he told us, referring to the workers at the nearby streetcar yard. The news, however, isn’t all bad. Along with his business partners, Dertilis signed a lease late this afternoon for a new location at 1364 Danforth Avenue, near Coxwell. Although Red Rocket’s new home will be a similar size, Dertilis says it won’t be the same. “We have to leave our extended family—that is, our customers,” he said. “These are the people who come into the store, and we hug them… We feel like we’ve been robbed of that.” The Wellesley Street location is unaffected.
As a new entrepreneur I’m CRUSHED to hear this. Love Red Rocket and they will be missed. $49/sqft really?
So sad. We will miss the best coffee shop on Queen St. East. We will be sure to frequent your new home – I guess our new walking route will be to Danforth east!
$49/sqft? what are you charging us for coffee beans?
This is really bad news.. there are a lot of regulars that hang out there. It’s a great little place in the middle of nowhere. I shot my short film Urban Zombies there and love the staff and the place. If I lived nearby I would be hanging out there all the time. sad to see neighbourhood joints get financed out. This place was a well run little machine.
Such sad news as I live in this neighbourhood. My yoga business was squeezed out of that building 3 years ago for the very same reason. Pam and Liaco are awesome proprietors and I wish them the very best.
Oh this is too bad, it`s my fave coffee place in the `hood. But wish you well in your new location. This space has often been empty, and bet it sits empty again for a long time at those prices. I really thought RR was here to stay. boo hoo.
This is sad news for Leslieville but AMAZING news for us on this stretch of Danforth! Welcome!
Loved the Rocket but haven’t been there in a long time as their hours had the store closing at 6pm – too early for it to be an option for myself and many others. Great staff, great food, and good snacks. Looking forward to the new location.
We are so sad to see our bestie neighbours move!! Queen & Greenwood will never be the same. Greatest luck with the move and your new digs. Danforth is a lucky street.
xoxo
All of the Red Rocket junkies from The Ten Spot
Leslieville
I love the RR – and think the landlord sucks for being so damn greedy.
Sorrily missed.
We are all so upset about losing our coffee shop and we will travel up to go to the one on the danforth, it is so frusterating that there is nothing we can do to convince the landlord to reconsider and work with the red rocket- we would do anything to help and fight this if we could!
How about voting in politicians who will put a stop the the condo blight that’s destroying businesses like Red Rocket Coffee? And not voting in morons like Rob Ford?
uh, how exactly are condos destroying businesses? if anything they provide more customers
this location had a turnover of a bunch of sketchy tenants prior to Red Rocket setting up shop, same goes for Queen Margherita. This is pure greed by the landlord and i hope it backfires on them when the place sits vacant for years
That’s very sad to hear! RR is responsible for more businesses moving to this area. I hear that this Landlord is a really fat greedy pig by all his former tenants. He also owns another building at 1192 QSE at Curzon and forced tenants out of that building with crazy rents. $49 PSF? Get real!! Someone should find out who this pig of an owner is.
yes, that’s it “Khyron”, it’s all Rob Fords fault. This is a *city*. If you want the small-town experience where time stands still, then move to a small town.
Danforth & Coxwell welcomes with open arms the RR.
I’m very sorry for the Leslieville community but am absolutely thrilled that Red Rocket is heading up to my ‘hood. Can’t wait!!
Setup a second shop in Hamilton on Locke St!
I’m not surprised. In a business capacity, I’ve known of the practices of the owners of this building for years. Everyone I’ve known has had problems, just when they are making a success. Galleries, dance companies, yoga shops,now coffee shops. Damned if you do.
As sad as this is, I AM SO EXCITED because finally our little stretch of the Danforth is going to have a real coffee shop. I know me and my partner will be regulars. I would occasionally treck over there for a coffee and it was always a great experience. Welcome to our hood!!
Thats very greedy of this landlord. I’m not sure who he/she thinks will be able to afford ‘their rents’ but good luck to them. now they has NO RENTS coming in.wtg wanna bet the landlord got some sort of a condo offer to build there? i’ll lay bets on it…i’m sorry to hear that you have to move to the danforth…but with that being said the customer rush might be just as good on Danforth
There is no condo deal here. Might be a shock but there are $50 per square foot Net rents in the area even around Carlaw-Queen. There are no rent controls for commercial buildings. Besides this article is bias. $49 per square foot probably wasn’t the final number.
It’s sad to see the Red Rocket go!
Awesome staff and, more importantly, good coffee.
Hopefully the new tenants will make use of the side patio during the summer evenings.
So happy that Red Rocket is moving to the Danforth. Closer for our family to enjoy their wonderful coffee. Unfortunate for Leslieville (another great neighbourhood). Too bad that he couldn’t have the 2 locations. Looking forward to the new place.
Another aspect of Californication but hopefully the denizens of the TTC facility at Danforth And Coxwell will be supportive.
@ brooklin99
FYI there is a second location on Wellesley @ Sherbourne
Same coffee, sexier staff. :)
It’s not Rob Ford, it’s not condos, it’s not the majority of supportive landlords that promote commercial development and give us choice as consumers…
Its Queen Street Partners, the building’s owners,
639 Queen Street West, Box 0502
Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5V 2B7
T: 416.360.8001 F: 416.360.1514
And if you’re as upset with their bullying as I am, you’ll take action. Join the facebook group and share ideas.
The Red Rocket owners are part of a family that makes up the fabric of our community. They pay their bills, employ our neighbours and provide a fantastic service. Doubling their rent is an offense to our community values.
This is a good example of how The Occupy Movement doesn’t just reflect the emotions we have towards banks and global corporations. Just like greedy children, some firms must be taught that this behavior is unacceptable:
http://www.facebook.com/groups/309917982360076/
http://queenstreetpartners.com/
They say they’re all about ‘neighbourhood’ but I disagree. They’re capitalists masked as do gooders/do no wrong. From the comments and a simple Google search it appears these guys aren’t very popular. Sadly, money talks/bulls..t walks. I bet a chain store trying to be a part of the ‘hood moves in, especially at those rents.
Good Luck Red Rocket on your new venture.
I hope the landlord doesn’t plan on reopening the location as a coffee shop himself! Sounds like he’s in for a rough ride if he tries…
From perusing the website, it looks like the same investment firm that squeezed out this coffee shop also put up threw money for the new lwebsite The Toronto Standard. Strange.
Not surprised in the slightest that Danforth East would be the go to spot. The stretch between Greenwood and Main is in dire need of a local coffee shop what with the young families and thirty somethings.
As someone that lives in the area, this seriously sucks.
My guess is that Queen Margerita Pizza will take over the space, operate it as a takeout & coffee shop. as well as use the patio that Red Rocket built for the summer months.
I hope that there is a change to the landlord’s decision, but I expect they will not back down and istead will create a ‘super-tenant’ in QMP, who will then face a massive increase in square footage once their lease is up for renewal.
Still trying to figure out why buying two coffees is more than twice the price of one coffee..
Please let nothing happen to the Wellesley St location: it’s at the bottom of my building! Lol. Good coffee, good décor, great service — and great music! x
On moving to our new East End neighbourhood, my wife and I have been to RR Queen and witnessed the personality and warmth first hand. There were regulars who walked in and the people working knew their order by heart and what was happening in their day! And they treated us newbies like old friends as well. Though I mourn the loss of your Queen location I welcome to the Danforth, which is more in my hood!