A Toronto bar and restaurant that was famously at the centre of sexual harassment allegations has called it quits for now and the owner is replacing it with something new.
Weslodge, a restaurant and tavern at 480 King St. W, was at the epicentre of a story about sexual harassment in the restaurant industry back in 2015.
A former pastry chef went public after filing a complaint with the Ontario Human Rights tribunal. Her accusations outlined systemic and unpunished sexual assault that had taken place at her workplace.
Owner Charles Khabouth and Hanif Hanjari subsequently apologized for the behaviour and were said to have taken steps to provide a safe workplace and enforce a zero tolerance policy.
Now, six years later and after a series of lockdowns that has severely impacted bars and restaurants across the city, Weslodge will be replaced with a new seafood restaurant Pink Sky that will come with a raw bar and daily specials.
It officially opens August 31.
Pink Sky will focus on a sea-to-fork concept and will be"a seafood lover's mecca", offering "selections of east and west coast oysters, ceviche, crudo and tartare and with a selection of the freshest shellfish" according to a press release.
Co-owner Hanif Harjari told blogTO that he has "spent a lot of time in the East Coast and Boston and has always admired the freshness of the food and simplicity of the experience."
When Harjari and Tsianos came across the opportunity to open a restaurant as such, where the seafood could be flown in fresh every day in a holistic way, they decided to move forward with it.
"For us, sea-to-fork essentially represents the simplicity of the ingredients and how we prepare the food. For example, we simply butcher the fresh fish, cook it over charcoal and finish it with lemon, olive oil and sea salt," explained Harjari.
Some dishes to look forward to include Crab on Toast, Charcoal Grilled Oysters, Escabeche and Smoked Ontario Whitefish with accoutrements such as lemon potatoes, peppery greens, and a variety of savoury sauces.
The interior of the restaurant that was formerly Weslodge will be entirely revamped to resemble "port warehouses on the shores of the Eastern Seaboard."
It will include an open concept dining room with a show kitchen and fresh seafood display as well as an upper-level dining room.
According to the press release, Weslodge will come back to life in some other form in another location. The website also promises that a "new location [is] coming soon."
Weslodge also still has a location in Dubai.
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