One of Toronto's most iconic pubs, the Duke of Kent, located on the corner of Yonge and Roehampton, just North of Eglinton has joined the CaféTO program after initially having their application rejected by the city.
While the exact reason for the application rejection was never made clear to the Duke of Kent staff, it's believed the amount of traffic and construction in the area played a major role.
Anyone who has visited Yonge and Eglinton is aware of the amount of construction going on in the area, especially with the Crosstown Eglinton line currently being constructed just around the corner from Duke of Kent.
"We didn't want to accept that because frankly we need the business, we need that patio to be open. We're not going to survive this pandemic if we don't have the extra patio sales," Cindy Simpson, Executive Vice President of Imago Restaurants Inc. told blogTO.
Management at the pub reached out to Councillor Josh Matlow and asked if there's anything he and his team could do for the iconic neighbourhood pub.
After over four months of trying, Matlow and his team were able to get the go ahead for Duke of Kent to join the program in a matter of days.
Among the changes that needed to be made was moving a nearby Bike Share rack to a nearby area, so that Duke of Kent's patio could expand into the area it once took up. The expanded patio allowed for the pub to double their capacity and get many of their employees back to work.
"Our pub is so well known in the neighbourhood, people love it and it's so endearing. It's been fall since we opened, we've had lineups since we opened," Simpson said.
Simpson echoed how this situation was another example of how important it is to stay involved in local politics and how direct change can be made by those willing to get to know their councillor and reaching out about matters important to them.
"It's really important to get involved at election time and for citizens to understand you can make a difference," Simpson explained.
With CaféTO and city staff everywhere working together to get hundreds of local restaurants, bars, and pubs back open again, many neighbourhoods are thrilled to see their local watering holes like Duke of Kent return.
