CLOSURE: Iconic restaurant closing down after over 40 years of business in Toronto
Published August 25, 2025 at 10:58 am
A restaurant that’s become an iconic part of Toronto for over 40 years has announced they’ll soon be closing their doors.
By The Way serves Middle Eastern cuisine like mezze, falafel pita sandwiches and kebobs, and also served up brunch with dishes like shakshuka and Eggs Benedict with a signature dill sauce.
The restaurant has now announced on social media and their website that they’ll be closing.
“Dear beloved clients, neighbours, and community, it’s with mixed emotions that we share the news that By The Way will close its doors,” reads a social media post signed by Amir and Ruth Benedikt.
“After over 40 years in business and serving and meeting so many wonderful people, we and our family felt that it was time to start a new chapter.”
The post has nearly 200 likes and almost 40 comments on Instagram, with people saying the restaurant will be sorely missed and calling the news “heartbreaking,” one person promising to visit twice before they closed. People also shared heartfelt memories of By The Way in the comments.
“By The Way was so much more than a restaurant — it was home,” wrote one person. “I enhanced my skills in culinary here from 1998 to 2010 and shared countless memories with an incredible family of staff and guests. We built something truly special together.”
“We used to come here for brunch (and dinner and lunch) when we lived in the Annex – always got the Benedict with the yummy dill sauce – always served by the incomparable Don Dolan who is still greatly missed,” someone else commented. “Yes, in the summers on the glorious patio but also squeezed into a cozy seat in the winter time.”
“I do not have mixed emotions about this news… I am just sad,” another person commented.
The restaurant takes up residence at a bustling corner spot in the Annex, and over the years has become an institution in the neighbourhood. By The Way was also known for their comforting look, with a Bill Wrigley mural that has been at By The Way since 1993, and they’re currently looking for a new home for it.
By The Way will be closing on Aug. 31.