October 2022 Digtial Issue

Riley's Seafood Tower
H MERENDA
This year marks the company’s 20th
anniversary. With that, GRG has plans to
open its first-ever Black+Blue concept at
the Exchange Tower in Toronto’s Financial
District. The iconic steakhouse was also the
recipient of Tripadvisor’s 2021 Travellers’
Choice Award for Top 10 per cent of
Restaurants Worldwide.
“We secured the best location in Toronto,”
says Yacoub. “It was the heartbeat of the
Financial District in Toronto. There were a lot
of people competing for the space, but many
of them pulled out when COVID hit. I still
went for it because the city is my home and
I’ve been wanting to come back to Toronto for
the last 10 years.”
Slated to open in March 2023, Black+Blue
Toronto will occupy roughly 9,000 sq. ft., plus
a 2,000-sq.-ft. garden. Its interior has been
outfitted by Navigate Design, led by Ken Lam,
co-founder and principal designer. When
asked about the restaurant’s atmosphere,
Yacoub says it’s one where people can envision
“Frank Sinatra sitting in a booth, sipping a
martini and smoking a cigar.”
The 220-seat restaurant will be helmed by
executive chef Morgan Bellis, who’s currently
in Vancouver working on menu development,
Black+Blue Vancouver
with plans to move back to Toronto in either
November or December to prepare for the
opening. Black+Blue is one of few restaurants
that offer certified Japanese Kobe beef rib eye
and striploin. Other standout items include
Japanese A5 Wagyu Rib Eye ($27 per ounce),
striploin ($29 per ounce) or tenderloin ($35
Riley's
per ounce), chilled seafood platter ($200),
Beef Wellington ($58); coq au vin ($36) and
Ahi tuna tataki ($21).
Fortunately, Yacoub says he hasn’t had a hard
time hiring staff for the new location. With
the pandemic prompting more conversations
about the nature of restaurant work, Yacoub says
maintaining a work-life balance is key.
“When I interviewed managers in Toronto,
every single one of them said they average
between 70 to 90 hours per week,” says
Yacoub. “For us, my maximum expectation
for managers is 50 hours. They were shocked
when I told them that.”
Yacoub has ambitious goals for the future.
By the end of 2024, he hopes to hit $100
million in sales. By 2028, the goal is to hit
$200 million. “I’m hoping that once things
work out for us in Toronto, we can start to
bring in other concepts because the market
will appreciate it.” FH
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OCTOBER 2022 FOODSERVICE AND HOSPITALITY 39