The Pickle Barrel
Canadian restaurant chain
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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.
| |
 Pickle Barrel in the Markville Shopping Centre in Markham, Ontario | |
| Type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Restaurants |
| Founded | 1971, in Toronto, Ontario |
Number of locations | 6 [1] |
Areas served | Canada |
| Products | Ashkenazi Jewish cuisine |
| Parent | Recipe Unlimited |
| Website | picklebarrel |
History
The first Pickle Barrel opened in 1971 as an 85-seat restaurant located on Leslie Street in Toronto.[2] Over the subsequent decades, the restaurant expanded to become a chain with locations across the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).[2]
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.[3][4] The restaurant opened a location in Waterloo, Ontario in 2019, their first outside of the GTA.[5]
Operations
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,[2] including a menu of health-conscious items selected by nutritionist Rose Reisman.[2] blogTO noted that the restaurant is "known for its lengthy menu and kitschy decor",[6] including colorful leather booths and blown glass hanging lights.[2]
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.[4]
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.[7] In September 2022, the Pickle Barrel at Sherway Gardens in Etobicoke closed permanently.[8] In February 2024, the chain's original location on Leslie closed after more than 50 years.[9]