Looking for the perfect neighbourhood for your eatery? There’s no shortage of great places to set up shop in Toronto, but some areas are more well-suited to restaurant businesses than others. St. Lawrence Market is a great example. When it comes to opening a culinary hotspot, this vibrant pocket of downtown has all the right ingredients.
Here are five reasons to consider setting up your restaurant in St. Lawrence Market…
1) It’s at the centre of it all
Opening an eatery close to popular venues, public parking, and transit is often a recipe for success. Luckily, St. Lawrence Market offers all three. First, there’s the central location. The neighbourhood’s west end shares a border with the Financial District, a dense part of downtown where professionals work and play. To the south, you’ll find the Esplanade. This thoroughfare brings many visitors to the area for Leafs, Raptors, and Jays games. With an abundance of parking and Union Station nearby, you could serve sports fans not only from downtown Toronto, but Hamilton and beyond.
2) Foot Traffic
No doubt about it: visibility is crucial to your restaurant’s success. While innovative marketing may generate buzz in the short term, it’s the number of potential customers who pass by every day that could make or break your business. Fortunately, there’s no shortage of foot traffic through the St. Lawrence Market area. This pedestrian-friendly community in Old Toronto is bustling from morning to night—plus the Jarvis-King intersection is one of the busiest in the city!
3) The Architecture
An eatery is more than the incredible food it serves up—it’s also about ambiance. Start with the right building. For many restauranteurs, that means a historic property that showcases our city’s past. If this idea appeals to you, St. Lawrence Market is a great place to look. Here you’ll find a large number of heritage properties—and many of them boast high ceilings, exposed brick, and other in-demand features.
4) The Convenience Factor
The condos and apartments in St. Lawrence Market are home to a high concentration of young professionals. When they’re not hard at work, they’re looking to grab a bite for lunch, enjoy a sophisticated dinner, or socialize over a glass of wine. That’s great news if you’re thinking of opening a restaurant in the area. It means you’ll have a large pool of potential patrons with money to spend—and they’ll be within walking distance of your business.
5) Patrons are there to eat
Last but not least, St. Lawrence Market is a well-known culinary hub. Central to the neighbourhood is a thriving marketplace packed with specialty vendors and shops. It’s so impressive that National Geographic once named it the best food market in the world! Given this distinction, it’s no surprise that many of the people you’ll see strolling in the area are there for one reason: to eat! For an up-and-coming restaurant, proximity to the St. Lawrence Market could mean having a ton of exposure among food lovers—of both the local and tourist variety. What more could you ask for?
Ready to find your ideal restaurant space—and start carving out your niche in the Toronto food scene? Reach out to learn how I can help you make the smartest purchase possible!
