Zelda's vamooses
CHURCH ST / Venerable Toronto drag/resto/patio bar emptied in the night
Xtra.ca staff / Toronto / Monday, October 26, 2009
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MOVING TO YONGE ST. Drag bar Zelda's has closed its Church St location and seems to be moving to Yonge St.
(Xtra files)
UPDATE OCT 26, 11:30am - Zelda's Living Well is holding a grand opening party at 692 Yonge St, on Tue, Nov 3 at 6pm. Read the press release here (PDF).


UPDATE SEP 30, 3:29pm - Xtra received the below letter from Zelda's staff today.


Hello Dah-lings,

    As you may have noticed, we’ve unhitched the trailer and moved Zelda’s to a new location! We would like to thank all of our fabulous and loyal customers, friends, and neighbours who have supported the restaurant over the past 13 years. Our lease expired and the rental increase was not affordable. Our new location became available at 692 Yonge Street. This is where I first found myself behind a bar and grew into my Double D bra at the original Living Well. This is a full circle move for us and we are excited about having everyone join us in this new venture. Renovations have been underway for over a month and I am thrilled to be upholstering the floral prints. We’re aiming for a spectacular grand opening by the end of October. We’ll be combining the best aspects of the old Zelda’s and original Living Well Café into a fun, fabulous new dining and entertainment experience. And yes, the drag shows will continue! Follow our renovations on the new Facebook group ‘Zelda’s Living Well’, and I look forward to seeing you all at the grand opening.

Cheers and love,
Zelda Angelfire


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UPDATE SEP 30 - Pink Triangle Press customer service rep Sangye Choga captured the below vid of Zelda's leaving Toronto's Church St on Sep 27.

"I first noticed the trucks pulling up at about 2am and they were gone by five," says Choga. "They told people they were renovating and that they’d be open again in two days. They took everything, kitchen equipment, stove, safe, cookware glassware, some alcohol. They were trying to get a big freezer out the door but they couldn’t get it out."

Zelda's manager Chris Burke says it's not over for Zelda's. He says Zelda will release a statement later today.





SEP 27 - Zelda’s, one of the anchor resto/bars in Toronto’s Church and Wellesley neighbourhood, abruptly closed up shop and vamoosed in the night Sep 28.

A truck arrived at the location across from Xtra’s offices about 2am the morning of Sep 28 and cleaned the place out.

The marquee sign on the front of the restaurant reads, “Lease expired, new location 692 Yonge St opening soon.”

Zelda's opened in the Church Wellesley nighbourhood in 1997. 692 Yonge St is most recently the home of Arrabiata and formerly the home of long-time gay friendly joint, Living Well.

Check Xtra.ca for more details as they become available.



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Reader Comments


 
$$$
A classic midnight run. They must have owed rent money. Mind you, with rent so high on Church Street, it was probably smart of them to get out.
Jackie O, Toronto ON
09/28/09 2:50 PM EST
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A shame
Rents are way too high in the village apparently. That said, going public with the issue before closing and relocating would have been a PR win for them..this is a big fail in my eyes.
Craig, toronto ontario
09/28/09 4:13 PM EST
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Greed on Church
The owners of these buildings on Church are greedy slumlords, and they are raising rent in an economic downturn. Zelda's could no longer afford rent (30 Grand a month!) for this spot and I don't blame them. We should all support Zelda's in this and continue to support at their new location on Yonge. Church street will be done in a few years.
Ryan, Toronto Ontario
09/28/09 4:22 PM EST
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The Village Ghetto - Get Up and GO
It's a shame to see such an iconic establishment leave the village after 13 yrs. It was THE place to sit and have a drink or bite to eat during Pride, Fetish Fair, or any sunny weekend afternoon. What I don't understand is why landlords would continually raise the rent and force businesses to relocate. Why isn't there some sort of advocacy to help protect businesses from gouging, greedy landlords?? As to the comment about "going public first"...why? Unless you have financial interest in the business, you have no rights to be informed of the owners decisions. You do however have the right to continue supporting them in their new location or not. After all, a block west isn't going to kill ya. And after a meal, the exercise will do you good!
Jeff, Toronto ON
09/28/09 4:57 PM EST
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Zelda's on the Run
I agree that it's a shame that a relatively inexpensive eating/drinking establishment like Zelda's should be forced to leave Church St. due to high rents but there are so many other moderately priced places to eat on the strip. Maybe if this location is so prime it might attract a restaurant of quality where we can actually get a really good meal. That would be a really nice change for Church Street.
Christopher, Toronto Ontario
09/28/09 5:15 PM EST
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It's about time
No loss. Zelda's has always been an overrated dump of a restaurant/bar. The food was awful and the service was worse. Maybe a half-decent establishment can set up shop in this awesome location.
Sean, Toronto Ontario
09/28/09 5:20 PM EST
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WTF?
Is everyone (who's gay) a self seeking, narrow minded, malevolent prick in Toronto? All I hear are back biting rumors of he said, she said and I hate you because... The REAL ISSUE is this, the Gay Community is in a state of DISASTER, this is the place where we've gathered as a people discriminated against, thrown out, beaten, rejected and spurned for years, it was our sanctuary and place where we could finally be proud of who we are and be who we are. Now it's being over run by greedy bastard Property Developers and foreign investors moving in on our territory. Where are we now, completely apathetic towards almost everything? Are we that burned out not to give a shit about where we belong being pulled from beneath our feet? What a shame. Rome thou hast lost the breed of noble blood. RIP Toronto's Gay Community. It's always a tragedy that we never know what we have til it's gone.
Daniel, Toronto Ontario
09/28/09 6:46 PM EST
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Do We Need a Village ???
Although it is sad to see Zelda's expire like this and to see CHANGE happen... I can't help but think, do we need a village? Living in Toronto and not in the village, I am proud to walk around any area of this city and be comfortable to look and be a gay man. I don't feel hated on and neither should any of you. We have all the same rights and freedoms as any tax paying citizen. Why do we need to establish a segregated area just for gays??? I am actually happy to see that more and more gays are moving out of the village and I am glad to see it's demise because that is the actual place where I feel judged most and I live in Scarborough!!! I will say though that Zeldas moving outside of the village is a very strong move and it shows that gay establishments can be built anywhere in the city and not need to be confined to the judgmental superfiscial village !!! I think this is progress towards equality!!! Lets hope in 20yrs there are gay bars everywhere in the city and not just on Church Street. Keep supporting zeldas and let the peeps on Yonge Street know the queens from Church are moving west !!!
Ryan, Scarborough Ontario
09/28/09 7:23 PM EST
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ZELDA'S!
Its sad to see Zelda's out of the Village but I support them anywhere they go!! We as a Gay Community should support other gay businesses no matter WHERE they go! I had a clothing store on Yonge St a few years ago and the rent was $6000, I can't even imagine paying $30,000 for rent on Church. But landlords and building owners only care about the money!! We will definitely come and visit you on Yonge St. It really isn't that far!!
anji, toronto ont
09/28/09 8:52 PM EST
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My first gay drinks EVER!
Zelda's was my introduction into my new, open, honest and Real QUEER life. I crushed on the staff, they in turn gave me support when i went through my first gay dramas. It was a place to be me, and to be safe. I thank them for being there for me. And to all the guys hating on the village, get over yourselves. Understand the absolute necessity of having a place where the new and the old can get together knowing that even for a few blocks, everyone is Family. i love ya, Zeldas! http://littlekiwilovesbauhaus.blogspot.com
Little Kiwi, New York City Ontario
09/28/09 9:05 PM EST
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about time!!!!
I think its about time! I agree with Sean. over the years they have done nothing different and kept adding on hideous additions to the place. The staff used to be more fun, outgoing and friendly (high as a kite at times) but they were more interactive with the patrons and made people want to come back. Now- with the food as plain as it is and entertainment from the staff as lame as ever, no wonder they had to move. Scary thing is, One of the owners used to own living well, and it went belly up too. just a matter of time before zelda's closes her legs forever!
Dave, toronto ontario
09/28/09 9:51 PM EST
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Church-Wellesley Business Improvement Area, MIA?
As various media publications in Toronto have predicted the decline of Church Street, the local Business Improvement Area is missing in action. Shouldn't BIAs do more for their members than simply installing banners and have numerous meetings with no proven results? While West Queen West and Parkdale are actively promoting their areas, Church Street quietly fades into irrelevance. The BIA should begin to craft a vision on how to make Church Street a destination for the queer community that it once was. A better relationship with property owners and an effective strategic plan would be a good place to start. What used to be a wildly entertaining venue with weekly best chest contents and the like, providing great programming viewable from the street for visitors and residents alike, is now just a memory. Yonge Street will not see crowds spilling onto the sidewalk to watch the near nightly shows and neither will Church Street in the near future. If the local BIA will not stand up for the local business community who will? It's never too late to shout, "Can't Stop, Won't Stop!" And this time we need to direct this passion in support of our own village.
Lee, Toronto ON
09/28/09 10:12 PM EST
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A Midnight Move To Avoid Rent Arrears
There would be NO REASON to move at 2 am unless you are doing it to avoid the landlord from seizing your goods for non payment of rent & rental arrears. There is no honour amongst thieves! They capitalized on the gay village for 13 years and not an ounce of respect to anyone based on these actions, regardless of rents or landlords. Here was clearly an opportunity to stand up, fight, and take control of the future on Church street. Typically, the shallow gay man runs! What will all the pretentious twinks, and unbeautiful party boys do wanting to gorge there stunning bodies after a night of alphabet soup(g,e,k,c). Guess its that Big Mac! There demise of the village continues. Thank Woody's again!!
Rob, Toronto Ontario
09/29/09 1:25 AM EST
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Oh Really?
As a Zelda's employee with somewhat of an inside scoop on the real situation and motivation behind the move, I find the wholly unsupported, not to mention wholly inaccurate rumours a little distasteful. You didn't like the kitschy decorations? That happened to be our schitck, if you don't like it, don't visit. Not a fan of the food? Fine, can't please everyone all the time. You preferred your servers high on drugs and more chatty? So be it, go back to the Comfort Zone. Fair criticism. But when you get into the territory of "There would be NO REASON to move at 2 am unless you are doing it to avoid the landlord from seizing your goods for non payment of rent & rental arrears" and "A classic midnight run. They must have owed rent money" that's where things go a bit sour for me. I understand that everyone has an opinion and that this is an anonymous message board, not some peer reviewed journal. Still, to spout these completely dreamed up claims as near fact then use the false claims to denigrate those behind the business is ridiculous. To the naysayers, please keep following the developments with Zelda's, notice the complete lack of wrongdoing and realize how unhelpful your presumptions are.
Staff, Toronto Ontario
09/29/09 2:06 AM EST
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an outsider's view
I went to Zelda's once in the last thirteen years, maybe twice, but certainly not more (except to use their washroom!) My reason: mainly the music. Like too many gay places in T.O. (even the bookstores! Are you listening Glad Day?) AND Paris, the notion of "background music" seems non-existent. It is more like "in-your-face" music... loud and crappy. This is supposed to add "atmosphere"... but all it really does is jangle the nerves of all but the youngest...who, if rumours are true, already have damaged hearing and probably don't realize just how loud the music is anyway. The very first openly gay bar in the Paris "village" ( circa 1976) actually used to play OPERA music in the afternoons! Now THERE'S a unique idea! A place where gays can show off their culture and sophistication by actually listening to CLASSICAL music, played SOFTLY in the background. I betcha the place would be FULL. Or JAZZ. Or BLUES! Be DARING, Zelda's. Try bringing a bit of class to Yonge Street. Lower the volume and make it Vivaldi and Oscar Peterson! (I'm not holding my breath... :0)
Ken, Paris France
09/29/09 5:53 AM EST
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Hello, "Staff"
Attention Staff - reports from reliable sources have noted to me that there were a lot of confused and bewildered former staff standing in from of the restaurant yesterday. Clearly Zelda's move was a surprise to them. A midnight move to dodge rent is pretty reasonable guess at what's going on here - and it's not an unusual move for businesses. It's also fun to note that when Zelda's moved there, the lease rate raised the bar for ridiculously high rents that now plague Church Street.
Dan, Toronto Ontario
09/29/09 9:40 AM EST
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The BIA? Hah
The BIA is currently presided over by a man who doesn't really care much for the gays, bemoans any street closures (it hurts his drive by traffic sales) and prefers that the biggest non-pride event (the Fetish Fair) would just go away. Similarly minded people join him. Don't expect much from them.
Some Dude, Toronto Ontario
09/29/09 9:46 AM EST
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Sick to my Stomach
It really makes me sick to my stomach to read all these bitchy, self-hating fags trash talk Zelda's. GET A FUCKING LIFE, for real, you're acting so lame and juvenile, it's fucking embarrassing. Zelda's is an iconic restaurant/hangout for many gays in Toronto, and it really is sad to see it go from Church St. Sure the Gay scene has changed a lot in the past 10 years, with the whole city being more open to gay establishments gays started moving to different parts of the city, i.e. Queen West, or Queen East. But do you sad bitchy little queens know who you can thank for your easy lifestyles now? Establishments like Zelda's and the people who own/run them, people who pushed the boarders and fought for our right to be who we are. So stop being so fucking disrespectful, and grow some real balls! Peace out Bitches!
Derrick, Toronto Ontario
09/29/09 9:47 AM EST
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The pot calling the kettle black
wow. derrick, calling us all sad bitchy queens? now that's The pot calling the kettle black. We are not complaining as to what zedlas was or what it offered the community, it just didn't do anything to improve or further enhance patron experience. yes, it was a staple in the gay community and its sad that it is gone, but had it kept up with the Tim's as ken said and was a little more daring, it would probably still be there.I used to go all the time, but then it became a same old same old place to be. no wonder they closed. Management didn't seem to really care to make changes. They just relied on the same old schitck! And that's not going to get you anywhere in business
dave, toronto ontario
09/29/09 12:32 PM EST
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More on the BIA of Church St.
Not only do some people have a major problem with the gay community's BIA leadership (a straight man), but I personally don't like the fact Baskin & Robbins year after year takes hundreds of thousands of dollars in profits selling their ice cream to the shoppers on Church Street yet they DON'T employ any gay men or woman. I find that troubling. You'd think they would hire a gay person (even if only part time) in support of the high percentage of gays that buy their product.
Brian B, Toronto Ontario
09/29/09 1:31 PM EST
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WTF ???
I totally don't understand all the criticism about the food at Zelda's. Over the summer I purposely brought my best friend who was visiting from Calgary to Zelda's and she was actually semi upset when I told her it closed the other day... even my parents enjoyed the meal we had there recently. My only problem with Zelda's was the fact that the pop I ordered was always flat... it happened so often that I stopped ordering pop there in fact... but really that wasn't a huge issue for me... I've probably eaten 90% of the dishes they had on their menu and I can't remember a time when I didn't fully enjoy my meal there.
MERBOY, Toronto ON
09/29/09 1:59 PM EST
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The Village Must Not Die
It really breaks my heart that so many folks are anticipating the demise of Church Street. The Village isn't just Toronto's gay headquarters, it's a national treasure. It's appeal cannot be discredited just because some of you have grown tired here. It is still a major selling point for local tourism, and not everybody who lives in the neighbourhood is so quick to deny its relevence. Let's get real, say what you will about other neighbourhoods in Toronto, it is naive to assume that queer people can now be safe and sound anywhere in the city. Just a few weeks ago I watched 3 men openly snicker and shout slurs at two homos holding hands on BAY & WELLESLEY (practically still our hood). So no, not everywhere in Toronto is free of homophobia, only the Village. Let's not forget what made this community special to us in the first place, the first time we came here. There are many many square miles of hetero-dominated land in Canada, why give up our one plot without a fight? I sincerely wish those properties that once housed Zelda's and Crews & Tango will re-open as something emphatically queer, and soon. If we let our Village die, it will be covered with condos in no time. Aren't there any wealthy people left in Toronto who give a damn? In closing, the Village is not dead and we must not let it die!! To resign in defeat is a pox on all of us, and we will all live to regret it.
(other) Ryan, Toronto Ontario
09/29/09 7:59 PM EST
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People
People make a village, folks. Not bars.
Jackie O, Toronto ON
09/30/09 12:37 AM EST
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Unbelievable...
First of all...unless you are an owner or manager of Zelda's or the property owner, you don't know squat about what really happened there and you have no business knowing...and people who liberally toss around that "reliable source" line generally are full of it. Secondly, if you didn't like Zelda's for the food or the music that's your opinion. However one person's opinion is nothing more than one it is. It's an opinion, not a fact, so please don't present it as such. Thirdly, Zelda's has raised or helped to raise tens of thousands of dollars for charities like PWA and Casey House. I have personally held several fundraisers there, and the staff and management always went out of their way to help. Finally, if The Village is "dying" it's primarily due to the negative bitchy attitude-filled lazy queens who spend far more time criticizing what others do instead of actually getting up off their worthless asses and working to make our community a better place. You people should be ashamed of yourselves. P.
TO Paul, Toronto Ontario
09/30/09 8:34 PM EST
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No Business Knowing ?
RE: Paul... "you have no business knowing" Really? The fact that it was a major feature of the neighbourhood for 13 years and vanished super abruptly without any advance notice... Zelda's really could have played this better I'm sure... though the subsequent write in letter from Zelda does hit all the right notes... almost as if someone has been reading PR Damage Control for Dummies. :D It's pretty disappointing for people who enjoyed going there... I feel a bit weird about it myself cuz on Sunday literally hours before it closed I walked by with my boyfriend and we were talking about specifically going for a meal before the upcoming Kylie concert with my cousin from Ottawa.
MERBOY, Toronto ON
10/01/09 8:47 AM EST
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Drag Queens
Frankly, I know this won't happen, but I wish Zelda's would get rid of the drag queen shows already! There's got to be other ways to raise money. Maybe it's time to re-invent Zelda's and stop thinking that the whole trailer-trash look is funny and that it actually appeals to anyone. It might have worked in 1994, but change is needed. As for drag queens, it's bad enough that everytime we go to gay bars we're FORCED to watch endless drag shows, they should be banned from restaurants. We're trying to eat, for God's sake. When I go to woody's and I'm talking to friends and all of a sudden I am interrupted by some loud drag queen screaming in a microphone, I makes me wanna leave. No one will admit it, but a huge percentage of the gay population in TO doesn't give a shit about drag and doesn't relate to it. Why is it shoved down our throats all the time?! Sorry if my comment offends anyone, but I am a gay man and to me a man in a dress is only funny on Halloween night. And still...
Dennis, Toronto Ontario
10/01/09 12:29 PM EST
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RE: "No Business Knowing"
MERBOY: All I'm saying is that Zelda's owners & management did what they did for their own reasons; and perhaps one or more of those reasons made it necessary for them to keep things quiet. We don't know exactly what happened so all this bitchy speculation is just pointless gossip; and really they (Zelda's management) are under no obligation to explain how they run their business. As far as the PR impact of these events go, well that's up to each of us to decide for ourselves. I'm not going to damn Zelda's for pulling out of the Village (despite how sad I think it is) because for all I know they had no choice...and I'd rather look at all the GOOD they did for the community over the years than participate in some of the vain & selfish nonsense that has been posted here by some people as if somehow what happened is all about THEM.
TO Paul, Toronto Ontario
10/01/09 2:05 PM EST
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Enough with all the negativity
I've been going to The Gay Village for over 20 years and I have never gone there because I feel uncomfortable in other parts of Toronto. I have never felt uncomfortable anywhere in Toronto. The reason to keep our gay village is because we need a critical mass of gay people, bars, stores, restaurants, services and events, so we have a queer space we can enjoy. (not a place to hide) It's also about the convenience of having everything in a central place. It's about bumping into friends, old boyfriends and meeting new ones. No other part of Toronto has the quirky, queer, fun vibe of Church Street, especially on warm summer nights when there is a sexy electricity in the air. Zelda's added a lot of colour and queer quirkiness to Church Street. We need more places like that, not less. We need establishments that are open, visible and PROUD! I hope Zelda's on Yonge streets gets some big, open windows and proudly opens up for the world to see. I wouldn't mind if Yonge Street goes back to being a gay centre but we must also keep Church Street as our main gay drag. Having both streets with a strong, visible gay presence, would be ideal. And the guy who's so anti-drag shows, if you don't like drag, don't go to bars that support that BUT do not try to take it away from the people who love and appreciate our fabulous drag divas! What is wrong with people? Just because they have issues with being gay or gay culture, they want to ruin it for the rest of us. Take your homophobic asses and go back to whatever rock you crawled out from under. How dare you want to take away something we love! Our Gay Village, is something worth fighting for. "Don't it always seem as though, you don't know what you've got, till it's gone". Gay people, don't let that happen, support our Gay Village!!!
Gary, Toronto Ontario
10/01/09 4:54 PM EST
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Miss' and Kisses
Good Luck in the New Space Ms.Angelfire. Your fans remain and look forward to checking out the New trailer. xoxo
Tony, Toronto ontario
10/01/09 5:28 PM EST
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The Bigger Picture
To those of you who don't want a village - I have to as : Are you guys serious ? Without a village you will never have that safe and fun feeling of being on a street on section that is gay friendly. You want proof ? Go visit any any middle to large populated American city and you will be glad you have the CHURCH AND WELLSLEY VILLAGE when you come back. Trust me. For those of us that want Church Street to keep on thriving, put into it what you can. Wether it be as little as supporting the arts to as much as convincing someone who is gay friendly the benefits of opening up a new establishment in "The Village" You see, the bigger issue here is that we as queers have even more of a reason now to "keep on marching" for what's right and what's fair with respects to "The Village" The more we talk about it - the more people will listen. Especially if we want to keep our village vibrant for years to come.
Derek, Toronto ON
10/03/09 12:10 AM EST
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Zelda's Moving
I have alway's Enjoyed Going to Zeldas For The Enterainment And Great Food Always Had Great Staff That Treated Us well:) I'm Gonna Miss seeing Th Place There Besides Steamworks :) Only Question I have If The Rent was so High Like some of The Places there and 13 years being there My Mother said in her Legal Profession why did The Staff Buy The Place And Call it There Own, I'm sure In The GLBT there would of been enough supporterers If Some Lovs some thing The Put there Heart And Soul In To Doing, They would do anything they would to make That Dream Come Alive, If My Mother And I New About This Ahead of Time we would Put A Stop To And Bought The building For Zeldas at No Questions Askd. I'm sure The Landlord would come to His Sensies by then. Ya Know there are a Lot of people who do care so don't ever think that.
DjLevel9, Toronto Ontario
10/03/09 8:26 AM EST
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Could this have been handled more professionally?
I honestly liked Zelda’s. It occasionally raised a good chunk of cash for reputable charities. The food, for what it was, could be considered decent albeit over priced. The majority of staff were on par for restaurants of its price point in the village. Hey, even the shows were fun… some of the time. I agree with what some have already said: the community doesn’t have a right to know every intimate detail of a businesses operation. However, we as consumers and supporters of community staples have the right to be respected by those we keep in business and to feel mistreated when treated dishonestly. The last weekend the restaurant was open, patrons were told both verbally and through handwritten notices that Zelda’s would be closed from Sunday night to Wednesday evening for a “facelift”. According to this press release “renovations have been going on for over a month” and they’re “aiming for a spectacular grand opening by the end of October” at a completely different location. Is it just me or is did Zelda’s shamelessly admit to deceiving the public without any sort of apology? I don’t know a lot about the restaurant industry but a decision to mislead those who were supporting your business (in difficult economic times), right before you need their support more than ever, may possibly have been a bad play to call. A good way to thank all your “fabulous and loyal customers” would have been to avoid lying to them in the first place. Regardless, I hope that all the staff had enough notice to save a fitting amount of funds if they are going to be out of work for a month and wish them luck at their new location. Everything about this really is a shame.
JC, Toronto On
10/03/09 10:01 PM EST
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What now?
I've enjoyed Zelda's over the years and, although not my first choice, it was always a great place to go for a change, for the patio, for the fun and for the people-watching. I also appreciated that fact that Zelda and her team constantly had something on the go to attract people in rather than just sitting on their arses doing nothing but wait for customers. So now what? Who can afford to come in and make a restaurant work in this location with these rents? For those of you who imagine it might be some kind of fine dining upscale joint, I'd suggest it's more likely to be Burger King or McDonalds. Now that's a frightening thought...
Steve, Toronto ON
10/06/09 6:48 PM EST
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You're an idiot
To "dave", titled "The pot calling the kettle black". Shut the fuck up. You dont know what you're talking about. I will acutally listen to you when you have something educated to contribute. But you dont, so until then shut the fuck up! You clearly know nothing about The Village and the importance of it, to yourself, Toronto, Canada, and North America. Piss off already ok?!
Derrick, Toronto Ontario
10/07/09 4:36 PM EST
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Hey Derrick
to Derrick, how old are ?? Why did you have to get so rude and angry ?? It's actually you my friend that's wrong. Gay people are EVERY WHERE. For the last 6 or more years, gay villages through-out North America have been shrinking with the closure of bars / clubs, book stores, bathhouses, etc. It's 2009, NOT 1979. It's the internet age where gay people are meeting and networking with each other from their kitchen tables and bedroom desks. The need for a gay person to head downtown into a gay area to meet someone for friendship, sex, etc are basically coming to an end. That easily explains why gay villages are shrinking. Do you see major line ups out side of say Woody's to get in on a given night ? Are there line ups down the stairs to rent a locker at Steamworks ? Is there such a demand for Crews & Tango to re-open that gays are marching in the streets demanding that the place re-open ? I think you need to re-think your position and thoughts on a gay village.
Jeff Taylor, Toronto Ontario
10/08/09 1:59 PM EST
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thanks jeff
thanks jeff for that.. i have to agree with you.. things are changing.. i meant no offence by my comments as paul said..those are my opinions. but your right.. the village is stale and more and more people are going to friends places for social gatherings etc.Derrick needs to open his mind and accept the change but hes more than welcome to his opinion:)
Dave, toronto ontario
10/11/09 9:04 PM EST
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Change
Of course, The Village is changing, everything changes. Yep, sadly, the Internet is a factor but nobody can tell me Internet dating is better then going to a bar and meeting someone face-to-face. Have you seen the whack jobs on the Internet? lol It's all FAKE pictures and misleading profiles. Then when you eventually meet, you realize you made a huge mistake. Anybody who has any kind of self respect, gives up on that bull-shit really quickly. Internet dating is basically for guys who are too timid to go into the real world. Internet dating will never replace going to a bar or gay event on Church Street, especially if you want to meet cool, sexy men. (they ain't on the Internet, just fake pretty pictures lol) I'll take The Village any day!
Gary, Toronto Ontario
10/20/09 2:54 PM EST
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