In the world of real estate, the age-old saying, “location, location, location” holds true and especially applies to restaurant real estate. In Toronto, one of the best places to open an eatery is in the Entertainment District.
While you wouldn’t be the first to launch a restaurant in the Entertainment District (nor the last), there are still plenty of great reasons why you should consider this prime neighbourhood to be the next home of your restaurant.
Here are five reasons to open your eatery in the Entertainment District.
1. It’s the Perfect Pit-Stop
Opening an eatery in Toronto’s glamorous Entertainment District means your restaurant will get exposure from people who are taking advantage of the other incredible activities in the area. No one plans a night out that starts and ends at the same place. It’s drinks then a show, followed by dinner and dancing–or something of that nature.
Whether your restaurant is a guest’s main destination or a pit-stop between Entertainment District activities, your location in the neighbourhood will make it easy for people to include your eatery in their plans.
2. The Foot Traffic Is Huge
If you’ve ever spent any time in Toronto’s Entertainment District, one of the first things you’ll pick up on is just how many people frequent the area.
Whether they’re tourists visiting the city, locals seeing a show, or employees of the entertainment business themselves — whatever reason people have for being in the Entertainment District, it’s undeniably one of the busiest walking neighbourhoods in Toronto.
Every successful restaurant depends on a great mix of reservations and walk-ins — being in a location as central as the Entertainment District helps with the latter.
3. The Lunchtime Rush
Despite the recent Work From Home movement that many businesses have adopted, the Entertainment District is still close to many of Toronto’s largest office buildings. Whether these offices are currently operational or their occupants have longer-term plans to resume working downtown, the lunch rush as the restaurant industry once knew it is likely soon to return.
Sandwiched right between the Financial District and the Fashion District, the restaurants in Entertainment District see a lot of action around lunchtime when employees of neighbouring businesses take their mid-day breaks.
4. Show Business After-Parties
One advantage of Entertainment District restaurants sharing city blocks with many of Toronto’s largest theatres, studios, and stages is their perennial need to throw great parties. And, as hospitality industry professionals, restaurants know how to do that better than anyone.
With large entertainment industry events like TIFF screenings and live theatre premieres happening all the time in Toronto, event organizers are always seeking out restaurants and eateries to host after-parties.
More often than not, the coordinators of these types of events look to book out entire restaurants for their large parties, which generally results in appetizing profit margins for restaurant owners.
5. Getting On The Gardiner
Toronto’s Entertainment District is close to a lot of fantastic local amenities. Perhaps among the least “entertaining” is the Gardiner Expressway. However, having the major Toronto highway run right along the southernmost border of the neighbourhood does come with its advantages.
Whatever your opinions about this infamous Toronto highway, there’s no denying a lot of people depend on it to get to where they need to go downtown. From your staff to food distributors to guests of your eatery, if you’re located in the Entertainment District, your restaurant will also benefit from being close to the Gardiner Expressway.
Are you interested in learning more about the Entertainment District or finding a new space for your restaurant? Our team at Carve Real Estate helps restaurants find new homes every day. To learn more about how we can help you, contact us here today.
