Toronto Union Station Revitalization | ?m | ?s | City of Toronto | NORR

Today the Union Chicken looks ALMOST ready to open and I would expect this to happen before Christmas (or, maybe immediately after if they need a 'break-in period).

Also, they are working on Bay Moat and at the east side of it (closest to Bay) are in final stages of moving the pedestrian traffic to the new stairs going up towards Bay (they are located beside Union Station Building). This will allow them to close off the current pedestrian passageway nearest the subway station and Front Street and deal with the north side stairs and installation of the rest of the Bay Moat cover. (Also working away on finishing the wall cladding around the archway on the west side of Bay Moat. (Oddly, not much sign of any work happening on the equivalent wall at the east end of the York Moat (Not having this finished means they still have one last section of York Moat to cover.

Finally, they seem to have finished tidying up all the stonework over the VIA and GO ticket counters in Great Hall.
 
Today the Union Chicken looks ALMOST ready to open and I would expect this to happen before Christmas (or, maybe immediately after if they need a 'break-in period).

Union Chicken wasn't worth the drive to Sherway. Underwhelming so don't rush to try it

(I wish I went the extra block to Nandos instead on North Queen)
 
Union Chicken wasn't worth the drive to Sherway. Underwhelming so don't rush to try it

(I wish I went the extra block to Nandos instead on North Queen)

That will be the make it or break it at Union. IIRC the Sushi place in the Bay concourse along with Dairy Queen were never busy BUT McDonalds was lined up down the hall.

Just because you build it does not mean they will come. Places can become a novelty quite quickly and nothing is ever guaranteed. Take Uncle Tetsus for example, it was the next big thing but now it is sparsely populated even on Bay Street.

I can see Union Chicken, Wvrst and Amano become novelties quick.. people like the glitz of new restaurants but that wears off. Take Jamie Kennedys Italian Kitchen at Yorkdale and Square One, they were the restaurant everyone had to go to because it was Jamie Kennedy, now it is just an average restaurant you go to because you are hungry.
 
I can see Union Chicken, Wvrst and Amano become novelties quick.. people like the glitz of new restaurants but that wears off. Take Jamie Kennedys Italian Kitchen at Yorkdale and Square One, they were the restaurant everyone had to go to because it was Jamie Kennedy, now it is just an average restaurant you go to because you are hungry.
I think you mean Jamie Oliver
 
That will be the make it or break it at Union. IIRC the Sushi place in the Bay concourse along with Dairy Queen were never busy BUT McDonalds was lined up down the hall.

Just because you build it does not mean they will come. Places can become a novelty quite quickly and nothing is ever guaranteed. Take Uncle Tetsus for example, it was the next big thing but now it is sparsely populated even on Bay Street.

I can see Union Chicken, Wvrst and Amano become novelties quick.. people like the glitz of new restaurants but that wears off.
Quite a few years since Wvrst opened on King Street, the place is still good and still busy. Pasta and and chicken have both stood the test of time and are not fad foods, so with the thousands of people who course through Union every day, you don't need too many of them to stop in keep either fairly busy. As long as Amano and Union Chicken do a decent enough job for a reasonable price, (and they're both young, so they should be nimble enough to make any changes needed as they learn about their customers), then they should do fine.

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Quite a few years since Wvrst opened on King Street, the place is still good and still busy. Pasta and and chicken have both stood the test of time and are not fad foods, so with the thousands of people who course through Union every day, you don't need too many of them to stop in keep either fairly busy. As long as Amano and Union Chicken do a decent enough job for a reasonable price, (and they're both young, so they should be nimble enough to make any changes needed as they learn about their customers), then they should do fine.
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Given the size of the residential population in Southcore, and the relative dearth of good food choices in the immediate area, I suspect the clientele won't be just transit users. Plus the station is like the preferred N/S route for pedestrian through traffic.

AoD
 
Don't forget the massive lunch market downtown.

Having been a cubicle worker on Bay Street (before relocated to a Bloor office), I do the PATH food court trip quite often.

All restaurants downtown are often packed at lunch, and there is an insatiable demand for downtown food. The Union restaurants are now filling up at lunch with non-commuters.

There's an insatiable demand for convenient food establishments & good food courts at lunch downtown.
 
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^ signage is definitely underwhelming... especially the north side where it seems to be non-existent.

Hopefully the smell will be what draws people in then.
 

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