Toronto Nathan Phillips Square + Spirit Garden | ?m | ?s | City of Toronto

It looks like sound curtains are being installed on the stage. Photos taken 28 February 2013

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Toronto Star: Hero burgers aren’t super enough for city hall: Toronto snubs chain’s bid to operate Nathan Phillips eatery

Toronto councillors have turned down a bid from a local burger chain to set up a restaurant on the refurbished Nathan Phillips Square in front of city hall.

Members of council’s government management committee voted 4-1 to cancel the bid, won by Hero Certified Burgers, a 41-store chain that features Angus beef from Alberta.

They want to look for another operator with a more “diverse” offering for the new restaurant designed as part of the $51 million overhaul of the square.

Hero and three other companies responded to the city’s request for proposals, issued in August. Staff recommended Hero’s bid because it had the highest overall technical score and highest financial benefit.

“We put in an offer, we got selected, and I guess they don’t want us,” said John Lettieri, president and founder of Hero Certified Burgers.

“But what am I going to do, stand up and bark? I don’t want to do that. If they don’t want us there, they don’t want us there.”
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I like a Hero Burger once in a while, I thought this was a good choice, especially if they had the space to provide a Lettieri's too.
 
Having a restaurant here that only serves hamburgers (and fries) would be a mistake. Its menu is too limited for a site like this. You need a restaurant that serves a variety of foods, as well as meatless dishes. It has to serve as wide a variety of food as possible, so people enjoying the square have options. I'm glad the contract was cancelled.
 
Torontovibe said:
Having a restaurant here that only serves hamburgers (and fries) would be a mistake. Its menu is too limited for a site like this. You need a restaurant that serves a variety of foods, as well as meatless dishes. It has to serve as wide a variety of food as possible, so people enjoying the square have options. I'm glad the contract was cancelled.
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I bet something like Pret A Manger would do well here. I'm really hoping to see that chain in Toronto one day.
 
A second Fabarnak (or something like it) here would be great. Tasty, diverse food with a training program would represent Toronto at its best.
 
We love burgers and they're a part of our culture, but from an international perspective, burgers would seem stereotypically American at the main square of Canada's largest city.
 
I was on the walkway today and noticed two very large metal poles had been erected on the podium near the skating pavillion and am wondering what they are for as I don't see anything in the plans that suggests pole lighting is going to be used. As well, I really admire the continuation of the patterning on the underside of the pavillion in wood as is seen on the underside of the walkway in what I guess is aluminum. Finally, the area fronting Queen Street will be fantastic when the pavers are put down and what I hope is a large amount of seating.

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The renovation of NPS is slowly continuing with what looks like a soft opening of The Stage. With increased access to the northwest part of the square onto Elizabeth and Chestnut Streets I noticed how the entrances\exits to the underground parking garage really dominate the roads and sidewalks surrounding what is evolving into a fantastic open space. Now that the plan for the central space is essentially done and work beginning on the Bay and Queen edges, maybe there will be some attention to the areas 'behind' City Hall. The careful development of the large parking lot at the northwest corner of Armoury and Chestnut might transform what is currently a bit of a mess into an intimately scaled area. I hope to see The Stage teeming with people on the first really warm day of spring. Photos taken 22 March 2013.

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