Pho Rùa Vàng Golden Turtle Restaurant or simply Golden Turtle, a popular pho restaurant on Ossington, has finally reopened since closing its doors back in January.
The restaurant, which has been serving pho and other Vietnamese staples since the '80s, decided to cease operations so their staff could take time off and allow them to make the space more conducive to social distancing.
"The reason we chose the timeline for the closure was a proven record of our slower sales in the first quarter of the year. It also coincided with the celebration of TET. We wanted to be off during the holidays to spend time together and celebrate at home," explains a Golden Turtle staff member.
Initially, they were expecting to reopen in February but had to push back the reopening until the end of March. Finally, on April 5, they announced on Instagram that they are back with a renovated space that is better suited to COVID-era dining. The renovations include a better ventilation system, a larger kitchen that allows for social distancing and even a takeout window.
"We have updated the HVAC system to have a better filtration system through the restaurant. A bigger and stainless steel kitchen for the staff and for easy sanitization and wipe down -- more space to socially distance in the kitchen. We also installed new pickup windows, so customers/delivery drivers do not have to come inside to pick up."
Pho Rùa Vàng Golden Turtle Restaurant is located at 125 Ossington Ave. Pickup and delivery are available on their website and popular delivery apps.
