An update on Trambusto, the Mike Harris–backed Italian chain that was threatening to invade Toronto

Last fall, we wrote about Trambusto, a new pizza-pasta chain that had $100 million in funding, former Teatro chef Shahir Massoud overseeing the food and a powerful fairy-godmother type in the form of ex-premier Mike Harris. At the time, the chain’s management had opened a single location in Vaughan, but they were planning to launch 20 more outlets in the next few months, and 100 over the course of five years. Now, almost a year into the scheme, things aren’t progressing quite as well as anticipated.

First, Mike Harris isn’t backing the operation anymore. (There was apparently a shareholder shake-up that resulted in Harris and former Yogurty’s COO Michael “Lubby” Lublin no longer being involved in the company’s management.) Also, the chain isn’t called Trambusto anymore. Earlier this year, it was re-christened Levetto, for reasons unknown. Despite these hiccups, though, the market-domination plan seems to be moving along, if a bit more slowly than anticipated. A Waterloo location opened a few months ago and, judging by the pending liquor-license applications, a pair of Toronto outlets will likely be next—one at 940 College Street, in the old Hadley’s space at Dovercourt, and the other just a few blocks south at 68 Sudbury Street. So, four down, 96 to go.