After decades of serving up their iconic Italian cuisine and mouthwatering pizza, the Big Slice has closed their doors at 1154 St. Clair Avenue West and is moving to a new spot.
The history of the chain goes back to 1981, when founder Giuseppe Salvatore took a chance on a space for lease near Yonge & Gerrard, where he opened the popular first location, pioneering the trend of buying pizza by the slice! After quickly becoming one the most successful pizza spots in the city, they opened a full service restaurant in the Corso Italia neighbourhood, before Salvatore travelled to Mexico to open several more locations. He left the spot to his sons Sebastian and Dominic, as well as their cousin Michele Gennuso, who joined partnership in 2001.
However, this isn't the first time that a Big Slice location has closed its doors. The original Yonge Street spot closed in 2016 due to building developments in the downtown area, and now with their lease on St. Clair up for renewal, they have decided to move to a location better designed to serve their customers. The space on St. Clair is now occupied by True History Brewing, where they have begun transforming the once pizza joint into a taproom and brewery.
The Big Slice is most commonly known for their red sauce favourites like pasta and pizza, as well as other comfort foods like calamari and wings. Staying true to their Italian roots, they are looking forward to serving up their famous big portions––at amazing prices––and continuing to uphold the restaurant's traditions established by Salvatore many moons ago.
Luckily, for those who live nearby, the Big Slice won’t be going too far -- they have signed a lease just down the street at 1226 St. Clair Avenue West, where the spot is slated to open sometime this Summer. To be one of the first to get your hands on a slice of their beloved pizza, it is advisable to keep your eyes peeled on their Instagram, where they will post renovation updates as well as news with regards to when exactly they will have their much-anticipated grand opening.
