 | |
 Pickle Barrel in the Markville Shopping Centre in Markham, Ontario | |
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Restaurants |
| Founded | 1971, in Toronto, Ontario |
Areas served | Canada |
| Products | Ashkenazi Jewish cuisine |
| Parent | Recipe Unlimited |
| Website | picklebarrel |
The Pickle Barrel is a Canadian restaurant chain. Originally opened in 1971 as a Jewish deli located on Leslie Street in Toronto, the restaurant now operates locations across southwestern Ontario.
The first Pickle Barrel opened in 1971 as an 85-seat restaurant located on Leslie Street in Toronto. [1] Over the subsequent decades, the restaurant expanded to become a chain with locations across the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). [1]
On October 16, 2017, The Pickle Barrel was acquired by Cara Operations Limited (renamed Recipe Unlimited in 2018), a subsidiary of the holding company Fairfax Financial. [2] [3] The restaurant opened a location in Waterloo, Ontario in 2019, their first outside of the GTA. [4]
While Pickle Barrel originally operated as a Jewish deli with deli sandwiches as a signature item, its menu has since expanded to include over 300 items, [1] including a menu of health-conscious items selected by nutritionist Rose Reisman. [1] blogTO noted that the restaurant is "known for its lengthy menu and kitschy decor", [5] including colorful leather booths and blown glass hanging lights. [1]
In 2017, The Pickle Barrel reportedly generated CAD$50 million annually from restaurant sales and catering, and had to date catered over 1.2 million events. [3]
In 2020, its Downtown Toronto location in The Atrium on Bay closed after four decades due to the COVID-19 pandemic, fewer people coming downtown as a result, and the lack of a patio for outdoor dining. [6] In September 2022, the Pickle Barrel at Sherway Gardens in Etobicoke closed permanently. [7] In February 2024, the chain's original location on Leslie closed after more than 50 years. [8]
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