The Church Street strip got a new restaurant to occupy the space vacated by the late, lamented
Il Fornello just south of Wellesley when Chi-Ko-Roo opened on March 2.
The Mediterranean-themed restaurant is owned by long-time Yonge and Dundas
Pickle Barrel general manager Gilmar Oprisan, who partnered with the team behind the two
Green Eggplant restaurants to open his first restaurant.
"The rent's not cheap here," says Oprisan, who before moving to Canada 10 years ago worked in restaurants in Israel, the Netherlands and his native Romania. "It's big competition, but I like competition."
He says he renovated about 40 per cent of the space, including adding new hardwood floors, a stone bar and new lighting to the 2,600 square foot space, which employs between 20 and 30.
The name, Oprisan says, doesn't mean anything in particular. "When you call somebody a nice guy, you call him Chico, so we said Chi-Ko-Roo. Why not?"
Writer: Bert Archer
Source: Gilmar Oprisan
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