Photo via @olivegarden_canada on Instagram
Hey, Toronto, what’s up?! Your group chat is popping off, and we’re here to keep the good times going. Welcome to another week of the Toronto Group Chat. This is your weekly rundown of the city’s biggest and hottest updates. Here, you’ll find all the stuff you actually want to share in your group chat. Every week, we’re dishing out five must-know highlights of what’s going on in the city or stories you need to know about.
Maybe people are already talking about it, or maybe you’ll start the conversation? Let your friends know.
Check out what’s new in Toronto. Let’s get into it.
The group chat is poppin’, the wait is over — Olive Garden is now open. I’ve been craving breadsticks since the brand first announced it was coming to the GTA.
Trips down to Buffalo are now a thing of the past, since the popular Italian-inspired chain is located at Vaughan Mills, 1 Bass Pro Mills Dr.
Olive Garden will be open Sunday to Thursday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Friday to Saturday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Now, who’s down to go?
Do you remember that Italian restaurant on the corner of John and Adelaide? FIGO? Well, it shut down less than a year ago, and it’s been empty ever since, until now.
Bar Romy, described as a “contemporary neighbourhood Italian restaurant,” is taking over the spot and it’s opening this Thursday.
Think honest Italian cooking, delicious wine, and a fantastic cocktail program. The space was designed for after-work drinks, casual dinners, and gathering with friends. And its opening comes just in time to fully embrace the summer season.
Hosting parties this summer? Or are you into meal prepping? Chipotle Canada just brought its Build-Your-Own Chipotle group meal option to Canada.
It serves four to six people (about eight or so meals if you’re in your gym era), and it’s pretty convenient to order.
Each Build-Your-Own Chipotle order comes with one protein, one rice, one bean, one premium side, a selection of toppings and salsas, shredded romaine lettuce, cheese, chips and soft tortillas.
To celebrate the launch, you can get $10 off your first Build-Your-Own Chipotle order with code “GETBYOC” when ordering through Chipotle.ca or the Chipotle app, while supplies last, or until July 8, 2026.
Canada Day 2026 in Toronto might just be the busiest yet. It’s been wild in the city, considering Toronto’s hosting the FIFA World Cup, and visitors from all over the world are exploring the streets.
The City of Toronto is hosting a day of free, family-friendly programming in the city, with the day ending with fireworks.
Expect a number of daytime activities in parks, public squares and even Toronto History Museum experiences. I made a guide to help make your Canada Day easier.
If you needed something fun to do besides all the FIFA excitement, the Ontario Science Centre has a new interim space at the Harbourfront Centre.
The new space will offer indoor and outdoor science and technology programming for visitors of all ages. It will also support waterfront tourism and STEM education until the new, permanent Ontario Science Centre opens at Ontario Place in 2029, according to its Instagram page.
And that’s all for now, Toronto. Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered for next week. See you then!
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