TORONTO — The City of Toronto is set to extend the food and beverage monopoly on the Toronto Islands for another 10 years.
William Beasley Enterprises Ltd., which has held the rights to feed and refresh the estimated 1.2 million annual visitors to the Islands for the past decade, beat two other bidders for the lucrative contract.
On June 11, Council will consider a staff recommendation to renew its agreement with the Etobicoke-based company until Dec. 31, 2022, with an option for another 10 years.
Financial terms have not yet been made public.
The contract includes rights to operate the main restaurant (currently a Shopsy’s) and snack bar (currently a Pizza Pizza) at the Centre Island ferry dock and to manage all food and drink catering for special events.
Bill Beasley told Global News he is delighted with the renewal, which will result in some improvements.
He is partnering with the company behind P.J. O’Brien Irish Pub & Restaurant, the Irish Embassy Pub Grill and Quinn’s Steakhouse to convert the Shopsy’s restaurant into a smokehouse and BBQ eatery next year.
“We want to make it a destination not only for tourists but for people living downtown,” he said of the venue, which is licensed for 1,500 people. Beasley hopes to add a beer garden in the adjacent park to double capacity.
The new agreement with the City allows for the addition of a private ferry service to Centre Island, which will enable the restaurant to host weddings and other events where guests would typically remain past the City’s final ferry departure.
Beasley hopes to tap the bus tour market and also sell annual ferry passes to downtown residents to encourage them to patronize the new restaurant/bar.
“It has the best view of the city,” he said.
Beasley also plans to turn the concession area at the entrance to Centre Island into an enclosed food court with more choices in addition to the existing Pizza Pizza.
His company, which recently won the right to continue operating the Centreville amusement park on Centre Island until Oct. 31, 2022, also operates the Carousel Cafe on Centre Island, a Pizza Pizza snack bar at the south pier, two snack bars at Hanlan’s Point and a snack bar at the Jack Layton Ferry Terminal on the mainland.
The new deal does not include catering rights on Olympic Island, which the City hopes will result in an increase in rentals of the space for music festivals and other events.
The City issued a Request for Proposals last December and eight potential bidders downloaded or purchased the documents. By the January 30 deadline, though, only three proposals were submitted — from Beasley, Mississauga-based M and M Food Service, and York Bay Marine Inc. of Toronto.
According to a staff report, Beasley’s bid was “ranked first having the highest overall technical score and providing the highest financial proposal.”
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