The last day of operation at the “The Kitchen and Glass place” on 840 Yonge St, is March 31st, 2013. Tony Vrbanatz, owner and chef, and will be closing his shop after 45 years in business. That is significant given the competition and market changes over the years.
Do come by to rummage any remaining kitchen supplies at a steep discount. I was able to get a few seafood forks, a porcelain oil and vinegar set, and other baking items for less than $15. I am going to emphasize on the rummaging part, since there are just a few shelves left of inventory.
What really makes your visit well worth it, is your chat with Tony. He is charming and will brighten up your day with his stories of his past and his upcoming retirement.
Young Tony Vrbanatz
His first store was on Yonge St. and Adelaide St, which was in operation before the Hudson Bay Company bought the Queen St. flagship store. His store is the longest running kitchen supply store in Toronto operated by the same owner, and not passed down to the second generation. Although, his first store was opened before my time, this is very fascinating indeed.
The store did not make BlogTOs best kitchen supply stores list, but it would have been on the top of my list. As a previous George Brown College student, I made use of their generous 20% discount to culinary students at George Brown on all regular price items. I haven’t found another store that was able to match that. It was not the “Tap Phong” of kitchen supplies stores, which is the Costcos and Walmart of all kitchen supplies stores, but after 45 years of operation, that says a lot of the loyalty of their customers and their business.
We wish you a happy retirement Tony!
Tony Vrbanatz
