No-tipping restaurant in Toronto suddenly announces they’re permanently closing

A certified living wage and non-tipping restaurant in Toronto has just announced they’re shutting down, sadly due to the owner operator’s struggles with accepting assistance.

Then & Now Restaurant served an Asian fusion menu of dishes like steak, dumplings and sushi, and prided itself on not requiring that guests tip at the end of their meal. They also had a policy of providing a living wage to employees, although owner operator Eric Y. Wang had difficulty taking on new help despite having difficulty running the restaurant on his own.

In a heartfelt post on social media, he details his journey in the industry starting from the age of 16 as a dishwasher, working his way up the ranks from there. He explains how although it’s impossible to run a restaurant as just one person, he grappled with a lack of trust in others that made it hard for him to hire others to help.

“My decision to close has nothing to do with the quality of our food and service, nor does it have anything to do with our non-tipping/living wage policy. I’m choosing to close purely due to the fact that I’ve humbly accepted the fact that no one (no matter how great they think they are) can successfully operate a restaurant on their own long-term, without any help,” reads the post.

“Since last summer, I’ve been the sole key person juggling all the roles (head chef, sole manager, owner, solo cook on slow days, marketing, accounting, etc…) and that has put a huge mental weight on my body and soul, which I am only now realizing this cannot continue on. My lack of trust in others led me to not hire anyone else to help me at a management capacity, which ultimately resulted in our soon to be closure.”

Wang continues on to thank the people that he did let in to work with him, admitting he would have had to close much earlier had he not had their help.

“You each gave me your whole world, and I’m deeply sorry if I haven’t noticed nor thanked you properly while we were together,” reads Wang’s post.

“This isn’t the end for me, I’m still madly in love with hospitality and my love for food and feeding others will never be lost, regardless if it’s in a professional capacity or not! We still have a few days left before saying goodbye officially, so please come by to Then & Now one last time.”

The restaurant will be closed May 15 to 16, then May 23 to 25 before their final week of service from May 29 to June 1.