TORONTO — Canada’s first chef’s hall has opened in downtown Toronto. Assembly Chef’s Hall brings together 17 top Toronto chefs for a unique food experience.
Assembly has been in a soft-launch phase since December and performed an official ribbon-cutting ceremony, presided by Mayor John Tory, on Jan. 25.
“Assembly will transform Toronto’s gastronomic landscape by bringing together 17 acclaimed local chefs under one roof,” says Andreas Antoniou, developer and principal of Assembly. “For a city that loves authentic food experiences, our design-forward, fun and fully liquor licensed environment offers an unrivaled collection of Toronto’s best.”
Assembly boasts 18,000 sq.-ft. of indoor and 3,000 sq.-ft. of outdoor space, as well as a sprawling beer hall and coffee bar. Led by executive chefs, baristas and culinary directors alike, the vendor line-up includes second locations and new concepts from some of the city’s best, including spinoffs from the teams behind Bulldog Coffee, Cherry Street BBQ, DaiLo, Hibiscus, Khao San Road, Los Colibris and El Caballito, Love Chix, Nutbar, Ramen Isshin, Bar Reyna, Short & Sweet Bakeshop, The Good Son and Tokyo Smoke. Five new concepts will also be features, as well as an 18th space that will serve as a rotational pop-up for local and visiting chefs to test new concepts.
“For more than 30 years, chain restaurants and fast-food operators have boxed out local chefs from ‘A’ locations downtown with patio and PATH connections,” says Antoniou. “Prohibitive rental rates, launch costs and development complexities made it virtually impossible for independent chefs to access the core. Assembly Chef’s Hall solves this problem and provides shared services so local chefs can focus on what really matters — food and service.”
