TORONTO — A unique restaurant has opened its doors in downtown Toronto. lbs. (pronounced “pounds”), which stands for lobster, burger, salad, seats 140 and is the brainchild of restaurateurs Jonathan Gonsenhauser and Will Tomlinson. It offers four menu items — a hamburger, lobster salad, lobster roll and a whole lobster — for $22 each.
“lbs. has been a work-in-progress for four years and our vision was an accessible high-end dining and bar experience in Toronto — something the city hasn’t seen before,” says Gonsenhauser. “Like our menu offering, the entire restaurant’s approach is honest and straightforward, offering a meal and bar experience that is fun, engaging and lighthearted in a beautifully customized and stylish environment.”
The main goal of the restaurant is to offer a delicious, yet affordable lobster. “How many times do you look at a lobster menu only to be turned away by ‘market price’?” says Gonsenhauser. “We founded lbs. to create a different type of restaurant — we provide the best and freshest quality lobster at a fraction of the price — ocean to table. Our motto is do a few things, really well — hence our four item menu.”
The 3,700-sq.-ft restaurant is located in Scotia Plaza at 100 Yonge St. and has a state-of-the-art bar, lounge, take-out window and an indoor patio in the Scotia Plaza’s atrium. It also boasts a lobster tank, which can support 2,000 lbs. of live lobster.
The take-out window, located at the back of the restaurant and facing the atrium, will serve Sam James coffee, lobster rolls ($16) and doughnut ice-cream sandwiches ($6).
Bar Isabel’s bartender, Holly Caverly, has been charged with lbs.’ cocktail program, which offers cocktails with no more than four ingredients; and custom sodas which will change seasonally.
100 Yonge Street, Toronto
