In a soaring heritage building in King West, one of Toronto’s most exciting urban neighbourhoods, Waterworks Food Hall has become a culinary destination offering a memorable and unique food experience.
The European-style food hall celebrates the best of the city’s dynamic culinary scene housed within a beautifully restored heritage industrial building.
“Waterworks is the culmination of a collective vision brought to life, and we’re incredibly proud to celebrate it as a completed project rather than just an idea. This has been a true labor of love, and our entire team has been fully dedicated into creating something remarkable – and unique. Every detail, from the design-led heritage restoration to the community-focused approach to finding the right restaurants to join us, reflects our collective effort and vision, and we’re thrilled with the outcome,” said Stratton Townley, Director of Development for Waterworks.
“Our goal was always to ensure Waterworks became a neighbourhood gathering place—one that will serve as the heart and soul of King West for years to come. What makes Waterworks so special isn’t just the stunning heritage property we’ve restored, but how the space itself defies the typical food hall experience. Set within a beautifully transformed site that was once overlooked and run down, Waterworks now offers multiple points of access, overlooks a beautiful adjoining historic park, and showcases airy glass atriums and thoughtfully designed seating—all creating an inviting atmosphere that prioritizes our customer’s experience.
“We’ve worked tirelessly to design not just a great building, but a space that feels unlike anything else in Canada, and we couldn’t be prouder of what we’ve achieved together.”
Opening Vendors:
- Venezuelan street food vendor Arepa Republic
- Torched sushi and hand rolls from Aburi Sushi
- Waterworks Bar by Boxcar Social
- Civil Liberties cocktail bar offshoot Civil Works (now open)
- Jewish-style deli and barbecue from Dave’s Genuine Deli
- Natural wine shop and bar by Grape Witches (opening soon)
- Gourmet burgers by Harry’s Charbroiled
- Bloordale’s Island Oysters shucking fresh Canadian oysters
- One-of-a-kind stuffed naan from Mississauga’s Karak
- Turkish Delight shop Liu Loqum
- Kyoto-style ramen made from scratch from Musoshin Ramen
- Kensington Market’s Berlin street food by Otto’s Berlin Doner
- Artisanal ice cream from Scooped by Demetres
- London’s authentic Thai cuisine created with freshly imported ingredients by Soi Thaifoon
- Christie Pit’s late night Vietnamese snack spot Vit Beo
- Taco Lupita and Pizza Popolo owned by Woodcliffe
- Waterworks Events – offering flexible private event spaces
The 55,000-square-foot Waterworks Food Hall, which will have more than 20 hand-picked vendors serving specialty fare, seasonal offerings and authentic cuisines from around the world, is situated on a site with a rich history, initially serving as a public market, then as a public works space, and now as a landmark destination offering a unique culinary experience.
After eight years of extensive planning, research, development and execution, the Waterworks Food Hall opened its doors earlier this summer with over 15 cuisines, three bars and bottle shop and two patios plus over 12,000 square feet of event space and underground parking in the heart of Toronto at 499 Richmond St. W. in the Entertainment District.
The project, developed by Woodcliffe Landmark Properties and MOD Developments, is a full city block bounded by Adelaide St W, Maud St and Brant St. On the Adelaide frontage is the City of Toronto’s St. Andrew’s Playground Park that was recently overhauled and renovated. There’s also a condo component on the Richmond St side with 290 residential units and a state-of-the-art YMCA of approximately 60,000 square feet, taking the second floor.
Southeast Asian restaurant Lee was relocated from King West to Waterworks – a 6,000-square-foot establishment
Waterworks also includes SOBR Market, downtown Toronto’s first non-alcoholic bottle shop.
The Behar Group handled tenant leasing at Waterworks and negotiated leases on behalf of the landlord.
With exposed brick walls and a soaring 44-foot ceiling with skylights and steel beams and columns, the Waterworks Food Hall is a stunning heritage building and a rich setting for events. It offers 12,000 square feet and four unique event spaces for private events, intimate gatherings, holiday celebrations, corporate functions, and more.
Here’s the history of the site from the Waterworks Food Hall website:
“A commercial centre for Toronto’s west end, the site once housed St. Andrew’s Market. Originally built in 1850, the first building was destroyed by fire in 1860. A grander and larger market, designed in the Renaissance Revival style was opened in 1873. As a public market, it housed fresh produce, a police station and a public library. Due to waning popularity, the market was decommissioned in the early 1920s and sat vacant for over a decade.
“The Waterworks Building was designed by City of Toronto Chief Architect J.J. Woolnough in 1932 as part of a government initiative to create jobs during the Great Depression. It was a complex of connected structures around a central courtyard with Art Deco detailing like stone quoins, copper coping, and dog-toothed brick. Designed for the Water Works offices, maintenance and storage of equipment, the building was decommissioned in 2013 and awarded heritage status in 2017.
“In 2016, Woodcliffe Landmark Properties, in partnership with MOD Developments, purchased the former public works facility. With frontage on Brant Street, Maud Street, and Richmond Street, was redeveloped for mixed-use including 297 condominiums, a 60,000 sf YMCA, 75 underground parking spaces, and a 55,000 sf European-inspired food hall. Waterworks fronts onto St. Andrew’s Playground Park that added an expanded off-leash dog park, an expansive playground and a myriad of seating options for gathering.
“The restoration of the “Great Hall” resulted in a remarkable adaptive reuse of the former machine shop, which was acquired in a state of disrepair. From preserving the soaring skylights to introducing floor-to-ceiling windows to repositioning the Art Deco gates to the hidden courtyard off Richmond St. and reclaiming wood from the original floor to create a mosaic spanning the height of the main stairwell, every detail has been meticulously executed.”
