An historic 140-year-old shipping warehouse steps from the Harbourfront Centre on Toronto’s Waterfront is about to see a new lease on life.
Queens Harbour will be opening in 2025 at 245 Queens Quay West, bringing ‘MediterrAsian’ cuisine – a fusion of Mediterranean and Asian flavours, to the neighbourhood.
“Our collective goal was to create a new landmark for the market in Toronto,” shared co-founder Kevin Jazexhi. “Before setting out to create something new, we reconnected to our own collective identity. All of us believe in the importance of family and it’s embedded deep in our roots.”
The concept is being introduced by experienced restaurateurs Kevin Jazexhi, Ali Badreddine & Iris Jazexhi.
Chef Bobby Robert Balint collaborated with local world-class chef Julien Laffargue to create a combination of Mediterranean and Asian flavours, termed as ‘MediterrAsian’ cuisine. Both chefs are curating a menu specializing in mezes for sharing, charcoal grilled dishes, complimented by a full raw and sushi bar.
“The impressive culinary program is complimented by a hand crafted cocktail program aimed to surprise and delight with fun and exciting textures and flavours,” shared Jazexhi. “Combining the food and beverage program with a dynamic, multifaceted experience in distinctly different spaces throughout this over 800 seat restaurant oasis by the water, Queens Harbour is bringing something new to the waterfront that Torontonians have been clamouring for some time. Steps away from the hustle of Toronto’s vibrant core, lies an oasis embracing everything we love about waterfront.”
“Our founders are also from parts of the world where Mediterranean influences are strong,” shared Jazexhi. “Despite developing strong operational foundations with combined years of experience in structured chains and developing our own concepts, our entrepreneurial spirit begged the question . . . why can’t we deliver top level food and beverages with world class hospitality that we crave and love, with atmospheres that we seek out when we travel that stimulate ALL our senses, combined with hospitality that is so authentic and sincere, it feels like you’ve come home.
“We believe this will truly be the new era of hospitality bringing the people what they need and deserve,” shared co-founder Ali Badreddine.
“We believe the idea of the Mediterranean’s relaxed ethos – cherishing of family, friends, and loved ones over shared meals, with the vibrant foods that bridge the gap between what you should be eating and what you want to eat, is a sweet spot that represents where we want to go combined with some strong elements of our very own heritage and history.”
The 23,000 square foot location will feature a number of elements that were specifically designed for this historic venue, including a one-of-a-kind outdoor patio and a retractable roof.
245 Queens Quay West was formerly home to Pawsway, a pet museum, cafe and activity centre, sponsored by Nestle Purina. The event space closed in 2017 after close to a decade in operation.
Pawsway was an example of a hub designed for the community as a whole, with a pet-friendly Williams cafe, daily activations and opportunities for all to enjoy the space.
When the funding for Pawsway was pulled, the space was discussed for a number of permanent uses over the years, with the most notable being the 2021 application for a new Reptilia facility. That proposal went before Toronto City Council and was rejected, leaving the opportunity for the next stage in the evolution of the waterfront location.
Queens Harbour will be next to Amsterdam Brewhouse. The 14,000 square-foot waterfront brewpub opened on July 1st, 2013 with 500 indoor seats and 325 on the lakefront patio.
With Toronto’s waterfront continuing to evolve, the team behind Queens Harbour is set to bring their a-game.
“For years we believed Torontonians and visitors to this iconic city have been under-serviced by destinations that embrace the water and the waterfront vibe,” shared Badreddine. “We believe there is a gap for people looking to fuse our type of cuisine with our energetic atmosphere that engages all the senses, while getting great value. We wanted to create a destination that our extended family, our guests, can use in so many different ways to mark so many important and unimportant occasions in their lives.”
“We set out to be part of the fabric that is weaved in the memories of our guests’ most cherished memories.”
Graham Smith from JLL represented the tenant for this transaction. Alex Edmison from CBRE Toronto Urban Retail Team represented the landlord.
Toronto’s Waterfront continues to see investment in the next stages of development, including first-to-market concepts like NBA Courtside, entertainment concepts like Lighthouse ArtSpace at 1 Yonge, currently home to F1 Exhibition, and the recent Head Office relocations of the LCBO, The Score and Canada Goose.
Retail Insider will be updating our readers as the project continues to take shape on the waterfront.
Queens Harbour is set to open in Spring 2025.
