AlbertC
Superstar
A Circle K convenience store is opening at the SE corner of Pape & Danforth, former location of Nando's.
A Circle K convenience store is opening at the SE corner of Pape & Danforth, former location of Nando's.
Nando's failed so hard.
Chicken was good; and some decent sauce, but there were real issues with concept here.
I haven't been to any of their non-Canadian outlets so I don't know if they just copy/pasted the concept, but it didn't make sense to me.
The last place to try something similar in the Toronto market (go to a cash to order food, have wait staff deliver to table) also flunked out.
To me that was its single biggest problem; but they also had some other issues.
I can't say Circle K is a good addition, especially to a prominent corner; but I don't think Nandos ended up being a big loss.
I love Portuguese chicken. That place sucked. So greasy. I wish we had one of those west side spots here.I also think Nando's was late to the game. Most people, especially in the west end, already have their favourite Portuguese chicken joint.
Brief history of the Odeon Theatre-turned-Goodlife. On the other side of Pape was the Palladium, which shuttered sometime in the early 90s.
The history of the Odeon Danforth Theatre in Toronto before it became a GoodLife
The Odeon Danforth is another of the movie theatres on the Danforth that I remember well, but never attended. However, I viewed it many times from th…www.blogto.com
Thanks for the link! I love this stuff.
When the Odeon became Oxygen Fitness c. 2000 (?) it was very clearly a theatre. I joined in 2005 and used to do a ball workout on the former stage. I remember that it was owned by four brothers (two families, two and two) who were suddenly kicked out one day by the property owner who shall remain nameless because, cough cough, who then handed it over (it may have been sold, not sure) to a chain. Not GoodLife, something that preceded it. When they started doing major renovations without any visible signs of permits, I quit. Something did not smell right to me.
The former Oxygen owners went on to establish Pure Fitness in Leaside.
As for the Palladium, we moved into the hood in 1985 and I really can't recall that at all.
The Palace, on the other hand, on the NE corner of Pape and Danforth, was turned into a medical building by 1995, at the latest, maybe sooner. I started going to a doctor there around that time. It's very obviously a former cinema when you go inside and see the atrium.
I do not remember any movie theatres existing in the area in 1985, except myabe for the old Allen which might have been a rep house. I also believe Panama Joe's which became the Globe Bistro was also a cinema.
Jeez, I'm old.
As for the Palladium, we moved into the hood in 1985 and I really can't recall that at all.
The Palace, on the other hand, on the NE corner of Pape and Danforth, was turned into a medical building by 1995, at the latest, maybe sooner. I started going to a doctor there around that time. It's very obviously a former cinema when you go inside and see the atrium.
I do not remember any movie theatres existing in the area in 1985, except myabe for the old Allen which might have been a rep house. I also believe Panama Joe's which became the Globe Bistro was also a cinema.
Jeez, I'm old.
You are; you're merely experienced.
Hah. Thanks. I guess. I even saw Jimi Hendrix live on April 2, 1968 in Montreal! So I am "experienced."
As for the Palace, the bones of the place are still there. It's very obvious when you go to to an upper floor and look at the atrium. . The med building has incorporated the building next door, now an A&W on the ground floor. The windows on the Pape side are pretty much there. (My doc's office is located there.)
https://tayloronhistory.com/2013/12/01/torontos-old-movie-housethe-palace-theatre-on-the-danforth/
That Gerrard theatre was gorgeous. Too bad Toronto tears so much down. As for the Roxy, I love it. So art deco.