PG Clucks, the Toronto fried chicken spot credited with introducing the city to Nashville Hot Chicken, is closing after a decade in business rather than raise sandwich prices past $15.
The owners announced Thursday that the tiny College Street counter shut down immediately, while the larger Queen Street West location will keep frying until July 25.
In a post on Instagram, owners Pawel and Steph Grezlikowski said the economics of the business no longer add up. When the shop first opened, the goal was to sell a sandwich, a side and a drink for $10 — a price point that has since become impossible to maintain.
The reality is that we can't continue to offer our huge sandwiches at current prices, and we're not interested in selling takeout chicken sandwiches for $15+
"We were Toronto's very first dedicated fried chicken sandwich joint, we introduced the city to Nashville Hot Chicken, and we're humbled to have inspired a whole generation of chicken spots that followed. But after a decade at the fryers, the time has come for us to move on," they wrote in the post.
According to Streets Of Toronto, the original College Street shop opened in 2016, squeezing a full fried chicken operation into roughly 200 square feet with no seating. The low overhead let the owners sell a sandwich and a pop for under $10 in the early days.
A second, larger location followed on Queen Street West in 2021, with more room and a bigger menu. The College Street spot kept its tiny takeout format until this week.
What made Clucks a Toronto favourite
The restaurant built its reputation on its preparation: deboned leg meat brined for 24 hours in lemon and herbs, soaked in buttermilk for another six hours, then double-dredged for extra crunch.
The oversized sandwiches — including the sweet-and-spicy Jalapeño Honey and the Big Cluck, a fried chicken take on a Big Mac — became signatures, with pieces of chicken spilling out of the buns.
A new concept for the College Street space
The College Street space won't stay empty. The owners are turning it into Loomi Pita Bakery, which they describe as the world's smallest pita bakery.
According to Pawel and Steph, the new concept better reflects the current economic reality and where they are now as chefs. Loomi will serve organic, long-fermented sourdough pitas baked to order throughout the day, filled with fresh ingredients and housemade sauces, alongside salads and dips to go.
In the meantime, fans of the chicken can still visit the Queen Street West location at 1112 Queen St W before July 25.
