22 Beloved Spots In Kensington Market Have Sadly Closed Their Doors Forever This Year

2020 has seen the closure of beloved restaurants and bars in cities across the country. One of the many areas impacted by the closures is Toronto's Kensington Market, which has seen a number of businesses forced to shut their doors for good.

Closures, high rent payments, and slashed traffic have all been putting pressure on local businesses.

And according to Cassandra Alves, the operations manager of the Kensington Market Business Improvement Association, 22 businesses in the area have already closed or have had to move to new locations during the pandemic.

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22 Total Kensington Market businesses closed or forced to relocate during the COVID-19 pandemic

One of the industries hit hardest is the service industry, and the bars and restaurants in Kensington are not exempt.

Round, Cold Tea, The Boat, and Maison Close 1888 are just some of the beloved bars and clubs that will not reopen once the pandemic is over.

As far as restaurants go, Moo Frites, Oxford Fruit, North Poke, the Livelihood Cafe, Krepesz Cafe & Bar, Hibiscus, and Cosmic Treats are all closing their Kensington doors forever. 

The local Kensington Market gym hasn't made it through the pandemic either. Krudar Gym was evicted on November 5th, says the market. 

There's no way around it — the area is going to look different whenever Toronto sees the other side of this pandemic.

In the meantime, all we can do is support local, be kind to our neighbours, and hope for the best.