A Toronto Restaurant Is Blasting The City For Its 'Water Woes' & They Need Local Help

A popular Toronto restaurant in the city's West End has closed its doors for nearly two weeks due to a sewer problem, and they're asking for locals to help them stay afloat.

The Alpine in the Junction has gone to takeout-only service due to the sewer issue, which has forced them to close their dining room, cancel several events and air their concerns with the City of Toronto on Instagram.

Why you should care: The Alpine has a great reputation for being a neighbourhood gem with an underground venue hosting weekly events. The restaurant shared that they've been struggling with a "collapsed sewer pipe" and work that has yet to be completed by The City of Toronto.

They've posted several photos on Instagram of all the mopping they're doing to keep the place dry, as it appears there's a lot of water leaking into their basement.

What they're saying: "The Alpine, has been experiencing flooding in their basement event space due to a collapsed sewer pipe and unfortunately must remain closed to the public until the City of Toronto is able to resolve the issue," The Alpine owners said in an Instagram post.

The restaurant says it contacted the city on January 19 about the issue and that it took over a week for the city to start addressing the problem.

A spokesperson from the City of Toronto told Narcity "On January 19, The Alpine restaurant experienced a blocked drain and placed a call to the City. City staff investigated and have determined the issue is a blocked sewer service connection. Repairs are underway. No other properties are affected."

They added that crews showed up to investigate on January 20 but Alpine staff weren't around to let them in, which contributed to the delay.

"Due to the complex nature of site conditions and the depth of the sewer, additional investigations were required in the days that followed," they said, adding that work was underway on January 30 and it should be completed shortly.

ICYMI: The Alpine shared on Instagram that they have been contacting the City of Toronto since January 19 and are "beyond frustrated."

"SOMEONE NEEDS TO DO BETTER! You say to support small businesses and then tie our hands like this? After years of struggling from COVID? How are we supposed to pay back $60,000 worth of CEBA loans when we are forced to close down?" they shared.

Narcity reached out to The Alpine for further comment but has not heard back in time for publication.

What comes next: The Alpine said they have been dealing with "water woes" for a couple of weeks and are asking residents to order via Uber Eats or get takeout from them or their sister restaurant, The Mugshot Tavern and support local.

No exact timeline has been set for them to re-open.

Keep reading: To stay up-to-date with the latest Toronto restaurant news, make sure to check out our weekly round-up. This week, there have been some restaurants that closed their doors, new spots to check out, and menus that are worth trying at your favourite Toronto restaurants.