There Have Actually Been A Lot Of New Businesses Opening In Toronto Since COVID-19

We may be in a pandemic, but Toronto entrepreneurs are still opening businesses. 

In fact, there were 329 new business licenses between March 15 and August 8, according to the latest city data obtained by Narcity.

The list of licenses include salons, laundromats, some brave new taxi outfits, and even one place intriguingly listed as a "place of amusement" (it's a gaming spot on St Clair West).

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329

New business licenses issues by the city March 15-August 8

There are also lots and lots of restaurants on the list; like, more than 100. 

Though COVID-19 has been devastating to Toronto's economy, with a large number of businesses of all sorts gone under and people out of work, the fact that at least some people are making a go of it against the odds is the sort of thing that's good to hear as we head into our eighth month of the pandemic.

There's even a new gourmet grocery store in Atrium On Bay. If a place can open up in a quiet little mall like that during the pandemic, maybe there's hope for us all.

(It's called Marcheleo's, it got its license in June and it's already "closed for renovations" according to a manager of another location so, well, let's see about that one.)

And sure, some of those may not make it, and yes, some of them are old staples like a new Popeye's or another Hasty Market or something, but a lot of them are indies, and what's not to love about that?

We may just make it through this with some fresh new places to shop at.