Last week I was driving in the Yonge/Eglinton area and noticed a “For Lease” sign at 2075 Yonge Street. Yes, Coquine Restaurant has closed! As a matter of fact, there are more and more “For Lease” signs popping up around town so it’s not surprising.
COVID-19 Devastates Restaurant Businesses
Coquine has gone through several transformations over the years and just before the COVID-19 shutdowns started, the owners were in the midst of changing it into a gourmet pizzeria restaurant. But just a few weeks before opening the new venue, they were forced to shut their doors. While I have seen many other restaurants shut down over the last several months, the closure of Coquine was very sad for me.
I have been coming to Coquine for years with family and friends. Coquine was a place to come for weekend brunches, light lunches and gourmet dinners. Every time I visited this place, I felt as if I was “at home”. The staff always made you feel welcome and comfortable. They often would bring you a complimentary drink and spent time to get to know you. They would never rush you out of your seat – even though there was a line-up to get in on busy nights.
While some may say that it’s just another restaurant that can be replaced, that may be true but just what will it be replaced with? My guess is you will see an international fast food chain move in that sells “McNuggets” or other processed foods. Is this the “new normal” as they call it? Unfortunately, it is and it will be the downfall of the family restaurant which will be replaced by multi-national corporations that don’t care who you are!
