{"id":12399,"date":"2024-04-28T23:35:27","date_gmt":"2024-04-28T23:35:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dmsretail.com\/RetailNews\/former-eatons-department-store-restaurant-in-toronto-to-feature-lunching-with-lady-eaton-event-in-july\/"},"modified":"2024-04-28T23:35:27","modified_gmt":"2024-04-28T23:35:27","slug":"former-eatons-department-store-restaurant-in-toronto-to-feature-lunching-with-lady-eaton-event-in-july","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dmsretail.com\/RetailNews\/former-eatons-department-store-restaurant-in-toronto-to-feature-lunching-with-lady-eaton-event-in-july\/","title":{"rendered":"Former Eaton\u2019s Department Store Restaurant in Toronto to Feature \u2018Lunching with Lady Eaton\u2019 Event in July"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Local history buff Michael Binetti is hosting a unique lunch on July 14 in Toronto at the former Eaton\u2019s College Street Round Room Restaurant (now The Carlu), located on the seventh floor of the building now known as College Park. Called \u2018Lunching with Lady Eaton\u2019, the event will feature a lunch menu served in the restaurant that operated from 1930 until 1977.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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At press time, the event has virtually sold out (our apologies) and Binetti has secured one additional table of 10 seats for Retail Insider readers with a special code \u2014 200 seats were released this week and sold out almost immediately. Ticket prices for the multi-course lunch are $132 plus tax. Further details specifically about the lunch are available at the end of this article.\u00a0The first 10 Retail Insider readers using code RETAILINSIDER<\/strong> can secure a seat by entering the code on the top-right of the venue chart at this link to buy tickets. <\/p>\n

As well, On May 4 at 11am Michael Binetti is hosting a Jane\u2019s Walk titled \u2018Downtown Palaces of Retail\u2019 in Toronto and it\u2019s free. [information here]<\/p>\n

The lunch is a nod to the expansive history of the former Eaton\u2019s College Street store, which is now known as College Park. Eaton\u2019s College Street began construction at the end of the \u2018roaring 1920s\u2019 and opened in 1930 (following the infamous stock market crash a year before). The 600,000 square foot building was the first phase of what was intended to be the largest department store in the world, spanning more than five million square feet with a skyscraper at its centre. Only the first phase ended up being built, with the store housing a substantial furniture offering (claiming to be the largest furniture store in the world at the time), while the store also offered a range of fashions for women and men in a one-level extension of the store on Bay Street, which included some luxury fashions (including a women\u2019s Givenchy boutique in the 1970s) and other departments.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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What was planned: The world\u2019s largest department store spanning 5.5 million square feet with a tower \u2013 image, City of Toronto archives<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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What we got: A 600,000 square foot store with annexes spanning west and south, with much of the complex still standing today. Photo: City of Toronto Archives.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Round Room restaurant at Eaton\u2019s College Street was the vision of Flora\u00a0McCrea\u00a0Eaton, who oversaw the design of the other restaurants in the Eaton\u2019s stores such as the recently reopened Le 9 in Montreal. Forward-thinking Lady Eaton championed new ideas such as women\u2019s advancement and rights in the workplace, and the involvement of nutritionists in the design of the restaurant menu. She often dined in The Round Room in Toronto.\u00a0<\/p>\n

About 100 years ago, Eaton\u2019s attempted to shift the centre of retail commerce in Toronto to the corner of Yonge and College Streets. The company, which was building Eaton\u2019s College Street at the southwest corner of the intersection, also owned the northeast corner which it tried to sell to Simpson\u2019s in order for that store to relocate. Simpson\u2019s said \u2018no\u2019, and remained at the intersection of Yonge and Queen. <\/p>\n

Interestingly, Eaton\u2019s continued to operate its 1.6 million square foot store at Yonge and Queen Street for decades until 1977, when a new 800,000 square foot Eaton\u2019s store was built in the shiny new Toronto Eaton Centre complex. The old Eaton\u2019s was then demolished to extend the shopping centre southward to connect with the Simpson\u2019s department store across the street (now Hudson\u2019s Bay\/Saks Fifth Avenue).\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Former Eaton\u2019s Queen Street store and the new Eaton Centre, under construction in Toronto in April, 1975. Photo: City of Toronto archives. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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New Toronto Eaton Centre and Eaton\u2019s flagship store in the early 1980s. Photo: City of Toronto archives.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The former Eaton\u2019s College Street building fell into disrepair after Eaton\u2019s exit in 1977, and the building was eventually revived to become a mixed-use project with retail, offices and residential. The seventh floor restaurant, now known as The Carlu, was reopened in 2003 after a renovation that brought the art deco space back to its former glory. The Carlu is utilized for various events throughout the year and is operated by Oliver & Bonacini.\u00a0<\/p>\n

For those interested in seeing parts of the former Eaton\u2019s College Street store itself, a large Winners store now occupies part of the main floor of the former Eaton\u2019s space which features soaring ceilings, marble floors and various preserved art deco elements. Various other businesses occupy the massive building, including a large gym.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Inside the Eaton\u2019s College Street store in 1930. Photo: City of Toronto Archives.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Eaton\u2019s Round Room restaurant at the College Street store in 1931. Image: Wikipedia Commons<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Eaton\u2019s played a key role in Canada\u2019s retail history with its founding by entrepreneur Timothy Eaton in 1869. Over the years, Eaton\u2019s became Canada\u2019s most dominant department store chain with locations across the country. An eventual decline saw Eaton\u2019s go bankrupt and shutter in 1999, marking the end of an era in Canadian retailing amid the decline of the North American department store.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In years past, large and beautiful restaurant spaces were part of the downtown department store experience. In Toronto, that included the Arcadian Court at Simpson\u2019s which still exists today as an entertainment space at Hudson\u2019s Bay Queen Street. Other grand department stores in the United States in years past featured such grand restaurants, including the Walnut Room at Marshall Field\u2019s in Chicago (now Macy\u2019s State Street), the Grill Room at Dayton\u2019s in downtown Minneapolis, and others.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The\u00a0Lunching\u00a0with\u00a0Lady\u00a0Eaton Event<\/strong><\/h2>\n

On July 14, 2024, the Seventh Floor of College Park will be transformed into Eaton\u2019s College Street for one day for the\u00a0Lunching\u00a0with\u00a0Lady\u00a0Eaton event.<\/p>\n

Guests can shop at a vendor marketplace being set up in The Carlu space as part of the lunch, dine in the Round Room to classic Eaton\u2019s recipes, and enjoy presentations about the history of Eaton\u2019s and\u00a0Lady\u00a0Eaton, and enjoy a live music quartet.<\/p>\n

Schedule:<\/strong><\/p>\n