CORNWALL, Ontario – Hot and fresh off the press, Boston Pizza celebrated its grand opening in Cornwall, adding a new taste to the local menu.
Hot and fresh off the press, Boston Pizza celebrated its grand opening in Cornwall, adding a new taste to the local menu.
Paul Toor, the owner of the new restaurant, and his 74 staff members, welcomed the local political dignitaries, business owners, and community leaders who accepted a delicious invitation to be the first to taste the menu and experience the chic atmosphere in their new $2.6 million establishment, on Saturday, April 26.
Toor was quick to point out that Boston Pizza can be a misleading name for Ontario’s fastest growing restaurant chain.
“We’re not just pizza,” he said. “We have over 110 items on the menu – ribs, seafood, chicken, pasta. Plus we also have amazing appetizers.”
The new restaurant that seats 280 (including 50 on the patio) officially opens to the public on Tuesday, April 29.
“This is the ‘2014’ version of Boston Pizza,” said Toor.
But it wasn’t easy becoming the first restaurant of its kind in Ontario.
“It took us almost four months to get where we are today,” said Toor. “It’s been a lot of hard work and effort, especially the last three weeks. We’ve been working non-stop to be ready to serve Cornwall.”
Boston Pizza Cornwall is located at 1234 Brookdale Avenue, sharing a plaza with Shoppers Drug Mart and Bulk Barn.
“It was a hard transaction, we looked at a lot of sites,” he said. “Finally I chose this one, mainly because we needed enough parking and a good visual from the street.”
Toor credits the success of his grand opening to his staff. Of his 74 new employees, there are eight hostesses, eight dishwashers, 30-plus servers, and the rest are kitchen staff and delivery drivers.
“It’s all because of the staff – they will make or break you,” said Toor.
During a ‘soft opening’ at Boston Pizza this Wednesday to Friday, staff donated all their tips to help raise over $3,750 for the United Way and the Boys & Girls Club.
Toor was glad to announce to the large crowd that the new restaurant holds the Boston Pizza Eastern Canada title for most money raised at a grand opening. For nine years, he has owned the Boston Pizza in Brockville, where he and his wife, Noor, reside.
Toor praised the city’s economic development team, notably Bob Peters, for their instrumental role in promoting the restaurant to thousands of media, business, and political contacts.
“The city was extremely helpful,” he said. “They went out of their way to help make the grand opening a success.”
“I’m really happy with this town, there’s a lot of really good people,” Toor added.
For more information, call (613) 933-2400.
