Mirvish Village is experiencing a revival in Toronto, driven by design-forward independent retail and destination dining. The area, originally conceived as a parking lot for Honest Ed’s, became an artistic hub in the 1960s after the city blocked the demolition of neighboring Victorians. Lured by low rents, artists and retailers flocked to the block, creating a bohemian atmosphere that persisted until a major redevelopment project took over the site in 2013.
Westbank purchased the land, leading to the closure of Honest Ed’s and a decade-long construction process that displaced many tenants. The redevelopment, now owned by Peterson, has transformed the historic district into a mix of restored Victorians and modern residential towers. With the dust settling on the construction, new businesses are moving in to define the neighborhood’s next chapter.
The first two businesses to debut in the redeveloped district were a bank and a liquor store. While practical, these additions located in the base of new towers did not capture the original charm of the area. It is a relief, then, that in the past two months, a pair of businesses have moved into two of Mirvish Village 2.0’s restored Victorians and set a more promising tone for the community’s future.
The first of these establishments is the second location of Pizzeria Badiali, a Toronto slice shop known for drawing consistently long lineups at its original Dovercourt outpost. That kind of foot traffic will be a major boon for re-establishing Mirvish as it emerges from its long dormancy. “There was a knife shop here that I used to come to all the time,” says head chef and co-owner Ryan Baddeley. “But I hadn’t thought about this little pocket in a while, until we were approached with the opportunity to open something here, because the area had just been nothing for 10 years. But once I started to hear more about the project and how they were being a little more creative with leasing Markham Street specifically, I realized that, vibe-wise, it would be a pretty cool match for us.”
The second new arrival is Book Bar, a book store and cocktail bar hybrid that builds upon Mirvish Village’s history as a source of great literature. Other welcome destinations are up next — a Blackbird Baking Co. bakery is on the way, while a multi-vendor food hall, a comedy theatre and a park are also on the horizon. Meanwhile, a narrow pedestrian corridor, Honest Ed’s Alley, will feature 25 “micro-retail” units offered on short-term leases.
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Both Badiali and Book Bar aim to create a distinct sense of identity that matches the neighborhood’s eclectic past. The Honest Ed’s approach was to install massive red signs bordered in hundreds of flashing lightbulbs. Both Pizza Badiali and Book Bar adopt another strategy, endeavouring to be memorable but also tastefully designed — while still maintaining some spirit of eclecticism, too.
Tile Work and Cocktail Culture
When Pizzeria Badiali head chef and co-owner Ryan Baddeley sat down to his first meeting with Ali McQuaid Mitchell, founder of the design firm Futurestudio, he already had the main ingredients for his second shop’s interior in mind. First, inspired by a visit to one of the Ralph’s coffee shops run by Ralph Lauren during a recent New York trip, he was keen to go all-in on elaborate tile work. “The way it’s used there feels classic and kind of old-world,” he says. “And I knew how much tiling Ali likes to do in her projects, so that felt like a good place to start.” Sure enough, past Futurestudio projects like Dear Grain Bakery, Othership and Grape Witches Waterworks have all adopted elaborate tile patterns.
Badiali’s new home builds upon that past success, pairing a custom mosaic floor (featuring the red, white and green of the Italian flag, and developed with Daltile) with Ralph’s-esque glossy green subway wall tiles. Both imbue the space with a retro elegance that will stand the test of time. “These guys have so many people come through the shop in a day that we knew the materials couldn’t be precious. We actually ended up wrapping the floor tiles up the baseboards and base of the banquettes, just because then people can hit them with strollers and you can wipe everything down easily,” says McQuaid Mitchell.
Baddeley’s next point of reference came from his childhood memories of Pizza Hut. “There’s a strong nostalgia there,” he says. “The pizza was good — for back in the day, it was exactly what it needed to be — but Pizza Hut’s branding was really amazing.” Building off that, Badiali Markham pays homage to a few key fixtures of the franchise. Tiffany-style stained glass lampshades emblazoned with “Badiali” mimic the lighting that once hung above Pizza Hut booths, while Badiali’s custom red plastic cups (which are also available for purchase) will be instantly recognizable to anyone who ever enjoyed a glass of Coke at a friend’s pizza birthday party.
The biggest departure from Badiali’s first location on Dovercourt is the greater delineation of front- and back-of-house space afforded by Markham’s extra square footage. “Ali basically said, draw me your perfect kitchen and I’ll design around that,” says Baddeley. The only downside now is that he struggles to adjust when it comes time to return to the original shop’s close quarters. “I spent a few weeks here and when I went back to Dovercourt, I was like, ‘Oh my god, how do we do this?’ The oven there is so small,” he says. Indeed, the biggest luxury that Mirvish affords is room for a second oven dedicated solely to reheating slices — which at Dovercourt happens in the same oven as initial pizza production.
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Reading and Drinking in Style
Reading can be a solitary activity, but it can also be a social one — and Book Bar understands the merits of both approaches. Along with a wide selection of literature, the two-level shop offers individual bookworms plenty of upholstered armchairs perfect for getting lost in a great novel, but also larger, more convivial spaces where book clubs can congregate to discuss exciting plot twists en masse. Speaking of which, Book Bar has a big surprise of its own: a liquor license. The drink menu includes a robust wine list (including several bottles served by the glass), and if you want a Faulkner-approved Old Fashioned, that’s an option too.
Book Bar is the brainchild of Tom Freeman and Robin Storfer, two longtime friends whose original plan to open a bar gradually merged with their love of reading. As Michelle Arlotta, an Intermediate Designer at DesignAgency explains, a core part of the studio’s concept for the interior is actually built around the shop’s origin story. “When this idea first came to them, they were around their kitchen island, drinking wine and talking about books,” she says. “So we set the downstairs wraparound bar at counter height to keep some of that residential feel.” The upstairs bar, for its part, feels even more intimate, placing a rounded kitchen island across from a small prep setup complete with pocket doors that hide the sink and appliances from sight when not in use.
Throughout, romantic details — like the scalloped trim around the downstairs seating area, plus select surfaces upholstered in textiles patterned with dreamy setting motifs — reward close reads of every corner. Arlotta notes that Canadian manufacturers were a main focus — light fixtures hail from Huey, Hamster and Luminaire Authentik, while the ceiling tiles, which help keep the noise level somewhere between a rowdy pub and a muted library, are from Hush Acoustics. Artworks, set against walls painted in rich burgundy or emerald green, deliver even more memorable accents. Each painting was personally sourced by Storfer herself, and many of them depict readers in action.
While the physical space is impressive, the operational reality presents a unique challenge. Design Agency’s brand consultancy, StudioDA, also played an important role in the project, developing a custom “B” word mark that resembles both an open book and a flag — a way to represent the store’s ambitions to become not just a store, but a meeting place. Something tells us it’s a setting that will go on to feature in many memorable stories.
Tom Freeman and Robin Storfer, the owners of Book Bar, have merged their love of reading with a passion for cocktails. [1] The atmosphere at Book Bar fits perfectly with the summer’s lively events scene. As Freeman and Storfer envisioned, the space serves as a creative hub for the community. Book Bar’s interior design draws heavily on residential elements, creating a cozy environment for book lovers. The upstairs bar offers a private setting, while the downstairs area encourages social interaction. Design and Art Events to See in July highlight the cultural significance of such venues. The store’s success demonstrates the enduring appeal of independent retail. Freeman and Storfer’s vision has transformed a simple idea into a beloved community gathering spot.
