The iconic steakhouse brand Black+Blue, based in Vancouver and owned by the Glowbal Restaurant Group, will be opening its first Toronto establishment later this year, in a prime location at the Exchange Tower, in the First Canadian Place complex, in the heart of the city.
“This year marks Glowbal Restaurant Group’s 20th anniversary, and what better way to mark this milestone than by returning home to Toronto where it all started. I am thrilled to be bringing our flagship restaurant and premier steakhouse, Black+Blue, to my hometown and to one of the city’s most iconic buildings – just steps away from where I started my career at the King Edward Hotel. I look forward to bringing old and new friends together at Black+Blue Toronto,” said Emad Yacoub, owner of the Glowbal Restaurant Group.
The restaurant was named one of Tripadvisor’s 2021 Travellers’ Choice Award Winners, which included the top 10 per cent of restaurants worldwide.
The prime location was leased by Beauleigh Retail Consultants, who exclusively handles the leasing of the property and the Glowbal Group was represented by Mario Negris, Senior Managing Director at Marcus & Millichap in Vancouver.
Marcelle Rademeyer, President and CEO of Beauleigh said the restaurant will open in the space previously occupied by the Toronto Stock Exchange at The Exchange Tower.
“This will be a first for the Glowbal Group in the Toronto market, which is important for us. They are first class operators and Emad, being originally from Toronto knows the market very well.
We’re excited for them to be opening their first location in Toronto with us at The Exchange Tower. Having roots in Toronto, we’re confident that Emad and his team will design a concept specifically for this location and this market. We’re adding to what is an already a strong food and beverage offering at Exchange Tower and First Canadian Place. They will join the well established and very successful Cactus Club and King Taps on the block, who also have their roots in Vancouver and opened their first locations in Toronto with us at First Canadian Place.
Rademeyer said Black+Blue will be opening some time in the Fall.
“We’re adding to essentially what was started, which is increasing and diversifying the food and beverage offering on the block and ensuring that it caters to the market. This is a brand that will appeal to everyone frequenting the financial core, as well as people coming in from the suburbs, further adding to what has become a popular dining destination downtown.”
The Glowbal Restaurant Group has a number of different banners in Vancouver – Glowbal, Coast, Italian Kitchen, The Roof, Five Sails, Trattoria, Nosh. Its newest restaurant Rileys will be opening in the spring in downtown Vancouver.
“This is a very iconic location with a bit of history as it did house the Toronto Stock Exchange and it’s a beautiful space,” said Rademeyer of Black+ Blue’s new location in Toronto.
“For us it was very important to add a signature high end restaurant that would match the quality of the space and the building.”
“Anytime over the last two years when the Covid restrictions were lifted, the restaurants picked back up, as people started returning to their offices and those in the suburbs ventured downtown. So we’re confident that post-Covid the restaurant scene downtown is not only coming back but has evolved to new levels. Many of the operators really hunkered down and reinvented themselves. So we’re looking forward to a very vibrant restaurant scene as we’ve always seen in Toronto and even better.”
“This is also testimony to the fact that someone from Vancouver has the confidence in opening up in the Toronto market. And we’re seeing more and more of that.”
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