See update to this post from Todd of Gabbys restaurant at the end of this post.
Concept overview from the corporate site, the concept was simply to create a cozy environment that was well suited to have great conversations, served quality freshly cooked meals and offered great draft beer and spirit selections…
Gabby’s is a franchise that has several locations in Toronto. It is questionable if it is a proper match for the Junction Community, there has been a no chain store movement for sometime. We already have two chains with locations in the Junction now, Starbucks and the mini – conglomerate Crema Coffee – so does this argument even hold water now. In addition professionalism of a chain restaurant may force other establishments to improve their food offerings, service and environment to compete for the same community members dollars. What is known is that competition breeds good businesses.
Some of their restaurants have late night service with a special late night menu …hope that happens here.
On Gabby’s permit application, it states that it will have indoor and outdoor space. In the Junction, Axis now has the best patio in the area, and provides a great outdoor space when the weather is right. Axis’s patio can be packed similar to how the Diplomatico on College is constantly packed in the summer. Patios in Toronto are prime real estate and another space will be a welcomed option in the Junction.
..and WOW the Newmarket site has Gluten-Free Menu (PDF of menu link).
..and here is a link to their regular menu. regular menu
The blog wrote the Gabbys company last evening asking for some more details, below is their response.
Submitted on 2012/03/08 at 9:17 AM
Hi and thanks for the Gabby’s blog intro – just for the record my family owns and operates Gabby’s, we started it as a family business at Yonge and Lawrence in 1989. We still own and operate the majority of our location privately today. We live in Toronto and do have a few franchise partners. Its important that we are part of the community and that’s why on occasion we franchise our stores, we want the owners to be part of the community, to work at the restaurant every day and understand the community.
We feel that the Junction is a great community and has seen significant change over the last 5 years. We also feel it’s underserviced with family restaurant choices and feel we will add value to the area and bring other great operators to the area to provide more options for the community as a whole. We have applied for a patio licence and interior licensing and plan to open in June with a gluten free menu, our regular core menu of 50+ items, a great draft selection, high quality flat screens, well trained staff and a consistent high quality safe eating environment. We will feature a 12 seat bar and a 65 seat restaurant area with room for strollers!! Although we do have several locations around the city we are still a local Toronto family owned and operated business with strong value on community and improving people experiences in our locations as diners or for a casual drink.
I look forward to answering any questions or inquires any community members have and look forward to adding value to the block with a new business, more jobs and one more option for our neighbours to walk to.
Todd (of Gabbys)
20 Comments
Hi and thanks for the Gabby’s blog intro – just for the record my family owns and operates Gabby's, we started it as a family business at Yonge and Lawrence in 1989. We still own and operate the majority of our location privately today. We live in Toronto and do have a few franchise partners. Its important that we are part of the community and that's why on occasion we franchise our stores, we want the owners to be part of the community, to work at the restaurant every day and understand the community.
We feel that the Junction is a great community and has seen significant change over the last 5 years. We also feel it’s underserviced with family restaurant choices and feel we will add value to the area and bring other great operators to the area to provide more options for the community as a whole. We have applied for a patio licence and interior licensing and plan to open in June with a gluten free menu, our regular core menu of 50+ items, a great draft selection, high quality flat screens, well trained staff and a consistent high quality safe eating environment. We will feature a 12 seat bar and a 65 seat restaurant area with room for strollers!! Although we do have several locations around the city we are still a local Toronto family owned and operated business with strong value on community and improving people experiences in our locations as diners or for a casual drink.
I look forward to answering any questions or inquires any community members have and look forward to adding value to the block with a new business, more jobs and one more option for our neighbours to walk to.
Todd
todd@gabbys.ca
Thanks for the comment and for doing so so quick after the blogs email.
I look forward to Gabby's coming into the Junction, for all the haters of Starbucks in the neighbourhood it sure is hard to find a seat at any time of the day.
PS – Todd, please make room on the taps for Guinness.
Can't wait!!!
Would love to see more vegetarian/vegan options other than the veggie burger. Nice to see that there will be space for strollers
I personally like a combo of indie and commercial chains. We also have domino pizza, I never eat there especially with Vesuvio's right there. I think it's healthy. Better then empty storefronts.
Guiness for sure… also look for Amsterdam Blonde, Moosehead, Richard White and others 8 line at min. Thanks for the positive feed back
Gabbys should retain some of the crowd that normally drinks in bloor. Also employs young college girls as servers.. Win win situation!
Is the patio planned to be in the back? How many seats do you think?
TANKHOUSE please!!!
Guniness for sure and… Amsterdam, Moosehead, Richards White other to follow
there is a different menu coming out in May – it will have a few more veggie items
We are applying for a front sidewalk patio and a rear COURTYARD – not to be mistaken with a FULL REAR PATIO. When you exit the rear of the building you will be between two buildings. So you will have the back of the restaurant an enclosed courtyard area then a large building with roof and walls then our parking lot then the public laneway.
We will end up with this courtyard with four walls around it that will provide an outdoor space but with not access to the rear laneway or parking lot area. It’s a deep property. We were very cautious not to be offensive to any neighboring buildings yet still supplying the neighborhood with a unique outdoor experience.
I love it, sounds like a great addition to the community
Can't wait to get sloshed! Save the walk to bloor!
More restaurants like Gabby's are needed in the junction and it's a good landmark of it's rising market value (and neighborhood appeal). The junction used to be a crumby area but thanks to new developments, it has seriously transformed and has the potential to be one of the city's biggest hot spots. Even 10 years go, it was not a good area. So long for that! Could be bay and bloor one day! Wait till there's a gap, an Xtreme fitness and a chapters on dundas! The Junction will be the best place in the city! Junction for life!
What are the job opportunities? and where do you apply?
sorry Paul i missed your post. we hald a LOCAL job fair we posted it in the window for about 3 weeks in Sept. we hired based on walk-ins and are now fully staffed. please drop in to hand off a resume and we will kept it for about 90 days for any openings. i think there is a spot for a good kitchen person?
todd
Hi, can you do something about the INSANELY bright lighting? Is it really unnecessary to light your sign with three high intensity lamps??
Hey I noticed that too, at a number of their restaurants. The one in the Kingsway us brighter.