Internationally celebrated Chef announces plans to bring accessible, high-quality restaurants to Canada
TORONTO, June 25, 2014 /CNW/ - Chef Jamie Oliver and King Street Food Company are excited to announce their partnership, with plans to open the first North American location of Jamie's Italian in Toronto, Canada, with more locations to follow in the future. With restaurants in the UK and eight other international destinations including Hong Kong, Sydney and Singapore, Jamie's Italian's simple, fresh and authentic menu and warm, welcoming, atmosphere is sure to charm Canadian diners. King Street Food Company, known for industry excellence with a roster of restaurants including Toronto's Buca and Jacobs & Co Steakhouse, is the ideal partner to make high quality food more broadly accessible. The restaurant is scheduled to open its doors in Yorkdale Shopping Centre in Spring 2015.
Speaking of the launch, Jamie Oliver said, "Canada is a place very close to my heart. I'm always excited about spending time there, and whenever I visit, I always get an amazing welcome. For a while now, I've been on the lookout for the perfect partner to open a restaurant with. So, when I tasted the menu at Buca, and found that we had the exact same ideas in mind, I knew I had found the right guys to kick start this exciting project with. It's going to be epic!"
Jamie's Italian began with the inspired collaboration between Jamie Oliver, and his Italian mentor, Gennaro Contaldo and has won thousands of fans around the world for its authentic Italian dishes, interpreted with Jamie's enthusiastic flare.
Focusing on fresh, and sustainable ingredients and bold, simple flavours, Jamie's Italian Toronto will offer a relaxed way of enjoying and sharing dishes with family, friends and loved-ones. The restaurants will feature pasta and pizza made fresh daily on-site, an antipasti station with cured meats and an open kitchen, bringing the Italian family-style of dining to life. As with all of Jamie's Italians, the Yorkdale restaurant will have its own unique design with locally inspired touches.
Since opening the doors of their first location in 2008, Jamie's Italian has grown and now has 35 restaurants in the UK and eight internationally with recent openings in Singapore, Australia, Russia and Dubai.
"We have been excited to be a part of Canadian diners discovering the beauty in authentic, fresh and creative Italian food," says Gus Giazitzidis, one of King Street Food Company's three managing partners along with Peter Tsebelis and Chef Rob Gentile. "To be able to broaden that experience while filling a gap in the marketplace, specifically making excellent quality dining options more accessible across Canada, is a dream come true and we are thrilled to join forces with Chef Jamie Oliver to make it come to life."
King Street Food Company is a leader in the Canadian food industry for its commitment to high-quality, innovative dining experiences. Their restaurants have received a host of accolades. Their fans include Jamie Oliver himself, who in 2011 on dining at their celebrated Italian restaurant Buca tweeted that it had been "(his) favourite meal of the year." On noted food critic Joanne Kates' annual Best 100 Restaurants in Toronto list for 2014, Buca and its second location Bar Buca were named the #1 and #10 restaurants respectively. They plan to bring the same high standards and attention to detail to this partnership, ensuring Jamie's Italian has the same incredible quality that can be found at locations worldwide.
Jamie's Italian's first Canadian location will open in Yorkdale Shopping Centre in spring 2015. The team will soon be looking for Toronto's most passionate chefs, managers and those looking for an opportunity to break into the world of good food to join the Jamie's Italian family. Those interested in applying should keep an eye on www.jamiesitalian.ca.
More about King Street Food Company
Founded in 2006 by Peter Tsebelis, Gus Giazitzidis, and celebrated Executive Chef Rob Gentile, King Street Food Company is one of Canada's premier restaurant groups. The pioneering company, known for setting trends in both location and dining style, includes multiple award-winning restaurants. Their portfolio includes modern classic Jacobs & Co. Steakhouse (2007), the critically-acclaimed Buca Osteria & Enoteca (2009), stylish and friendly tavern The Saint Tavern (2012), and Italian style snack bar Bar Buca (2014). Each restaurant, with its individual concept and style, has seen enduring success through its inventive interpretation of traditional dining concepts presented with a contemporary twist. Driven to create dining experiences that are relevant to the market, their uncompromising commitment to sourcing the best and freshest ingredients available, maintaining an artisanal approach to their craft, creating a warm and sophisticated atmosphere, and practicing thoughtful hospitality has earned them fans from Toronto and abroad, and praise from leading industry publications and culinary experts. Upcoming projects include Buca Yorkville in Toronto's Four Seasons Hotel development (Summer 2014), and Jamie's Italian in Yorkdale Shopping Centre, Toronto (Spring 2015). For more information, visit www.kingstreetfood.com.
More about Jamie's Italian
The first Jamie's Italian opened in 2008 in Oxford, England; a collaboration between Jamie Oliver and Gennaro Contaldo, reflecting their passionate, humble and sociable attitude towards Italian food. There are now 35 Jamie's Italian outlets in the UK, as well as eight international restaurants from Sydney to Dublin.
Social Media
@JamiesitalianCA
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@Jamieoliver
@kingstreetfood
Image with caption: "Managing directors of King Street Food Company from left to right: Peter Tsebelis, Chef Rob Gentile, and Gus Giazitzidis. Photo Credit: Andy Vanderkaay (CNW Group/King Street Food Company)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20140625_C2509_PHOTO_EN_3907.jpg
SOURCE: King Street Food Company
Media Contact: For interviews with Gus Giazitzidis, Peter Tsebelis and/or Chef Rob Gentile, please contact: Alina Duviner, King Street Food Company, [email protected], 416.574.1098
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