Two popular Toronto restaurants close their doors for good

Two restaurants have closed in the last week: Lai Wah Heen, a fine-dining restaurant in the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel downtown, and Sienna’s, an Italian spot in Roncesvalles.

Long-time owner Canson Tsang said he decided to close Lai Wah Heen, considered one of the best places for dim sum, on Feb. 26 when the lease for the space was up. He declined to discuss his future plans or what might be planned for the space in the hotel at 108 Chestnut St.

Since 1995, Lai Wah Heen has been offering a fine-dining spin on classic Chinese dishes such as fried rice and dim sum with the addition of foie gras and Wagyu beef. However, at the height of the pandemic at the end of 2020, Tsang told the Star he had to adapt to changing eating habits to make revenue. At that time, he launched a trial of Chinese broths to-go.

Sienna’s, which closed its doors on March 5, having only been open since September 2021, broke the news of its closure in an Instagram reel on March 3.

“We fell in love with the neighbourhood years ago and are grateful to have been a part of it this past year,” the post said. “We didn’t get to serve you for as long as we had hoped, but this isn’t the end.” The owners didn’t elaborate on what might happen next but said Sunday was the last day they were open.

Neither place shared with the Star the specific reasons for the closures, but many restaurants have shuttered over the last year, mostly for financial reasons.

“The next two years are going to be tough for the industry” in terms of food costs and employment shortage, said Wayne Smith, a professor of hospitality and tourism management at Toronto Metropolitan University.

“Between labour cost, the costs of rent going up and the increasing costs of food, it’s getting very difficult to be in a restaurant business,” Smith said. He said many restaurants used to have some reserves to cope with situations like the current financial crunch, “but the reserve got all used up during COVID.”

“What’s happening now,” he added, “is the price of everything is rising, from rent, utility, heating, and there’s nothing in place to help them get through.”

Smith expects to see an increased use of technology to try to compensate. The experience will become increasingly automated in an effort to reduce costs,” he said.

As for these closures, patrons on Instagram were quick to express their sadness about Sienna’s doors shutting. “We will always have the memory of eating at Sienna’s with our young son for his first ever indoor restaurant meal,” one commenter said.

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