By Mario Toneguzzi

King Street Food Company is expanding its premier Buca brand of rustic Italian fare to two new locations in Toronto in 2018.

Peter Tsebelis, partner and managing director of King Street Food Company, says the brand will open locations at Yonge & Eglinton and Yonge & St.Clair. Stan Vyriotes and David Wedermire of DWSV Remax Ultimate Realty Inc. represented King Street Food in the deals.

“We have identified two thriving neighbourhoods that are a perfect fit to grow the Buca brand,” says Tsebelis. “We look forward to drawing inspiration from our new surroundings in order to build community-specific concepts that we hope will become the fabric of the area.”

The first Buca Osteria and Enoteca location opened in September 2009 on King Street. In 2014, Bar Buca opened right across the street which operates seven days a week from 7 a.m. until 2 a.m. Also in 2014, a Buca Osteria was opened at the Four Seasons.

Earlier this year, it was announced that Buca Vaughan would open in three years.

Chef Rob Gentile, partner and culinary director of King Street Food Company, designs and curates the food programs for the brand.

Tsebelis says the Yonge & Eglinton location, an expanded Bar Buca, will be open in the Spring of 2018, and it will serve as an all-day Italian-inspired bar and café with a focus on small, seasonal dishes, specialty coffee, pastries and a crafted cocktail list of Italian classics. It will also have an extended homemade gelato offering, new pizza menu and takeaway service.

A new restaurant and Buca concept at Yonge & St. Clair will open in late 2018. Tsebelis says it will be tailored specifically for the neighbourhood and it will serve as a dining spot for building tenants and the surrounding community.

“In the spirit of the Buca brand, these new locations will embrace and enhance the community energy by providing quality food and beverage, warm hospitality and a balance of old world and new,” says King Street Food Company of the new locations.

Tsebelis says the key to Buca’s success is the quality and unique offering of food that it brings to customers - focused on “the approach and philosophy that Italians bring to cooking which is simple, integrity and ingredient driven.”

Offering a classic Italian experience of hospitality in both food and drink is what has driven the success of the brand.

Tsebelis says there are plans for more locations in the future and the brand could even move into other cities.

King Street Food Company was founded in 2006 by Tsebelis and Gus Giazitzidis.

Their portfolio includes Jacobs & Co. Steakhouse (2007), Buca, the first Jamie’s Italian in North America at Yorkdale Shopping Centre (2015) and Jamie’s Italian Square One (2016), french-influenced La Banane (2017) and CXBO Chocolates (2015).

*All photos are via Buca's website, and the top photo is of the future Yonge & St. Clair Buca location.

Mario Toneguzzi, based in Calgary has 37 years of experience as a daily newspaper writer, columnist and editor. He worked for 35 years at the Calgary Herald covering sports, crime, politics, health, city and breaking news, and business. For 12 years as a business writer, his main beats were commercial and residential real estate, retail, small business and general economic news. He nows works on his own as a freelance writer and consultant in communications and media relations/training. Email: mdtoneguzzi@gmail.com.