Pride Month is the most fun and fabulous time in Toronto. Financial institutions, corporations and even the LCBO plaster rainbows all over their storefronts, showing their support and brightening up the streets. Drag shows take over some of the best brunches and the most beautiful patios in the city, glamourizing our weekends. But while we love Toronto's hottest gay bars, and all the theatricality that is often synonymized with gay culture, there's a whole spectrum of amazing, queer-owned business that don't all fit into that flashy stereotype, and absolutely do deserve our patronage year-round.
For allies and outsiders, Pride Month might seem like one big gay party, and it is a celebration of authenticity and identity, but it also honours all of the queens and kings who came before us and fought for the rights and freedoms that we get to enjoy in Toronto — that still don't exist in many other parts of the world. It's a reminder of how far we have to go before all of us can feel safe and seen in our own skin.
Party it up for Pride Month, celebrate how far we've come, reflect on the work that still needs to be done, and support these amazing Toronto businesses proudly owned by LGBTQ2S+ folks all year long.
foodism's favourite queer-owned Toronto spots
Gia Restaurant
1214 Dundas St. W.
I've loved Gia since long before it was recommended by the Michelin Guide, before its predecessor Ufficio was transformed into the plant-forward dining establishment it is today. The Dundas West restaurant has always been a cozy, comfortable and chic spot for excellent plates of pasta, delicious vegetables and mouthwatering focaccia. Their famed truffle agnolotti is one of my favourite dishes in the city, and I order it every single time.
I've brought friends, dates and even my mom to dine in the white-brick-walled atmosphere or out on the greenery-lined street-side patio leftover from covid days — and have always had the loveliest time. The wine list is organic, biodynamic and sustainable; the cocktails are boozy; and the atmosphere is relaxed yet polished. Owners and life-partners Stacey Patterson and Jenny Coburn have poured their love into this restaurant and it really shows.
Sweaty Betty’s
13 Ossington Ave.
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Well before Queen and Ossington was the bumping hotspot it is today, Sweaty Betty’s has been serving great tunes, affordable drinks and tasty bar snacks since 2004. Along with their friendly, red interior and retro-horror decor, they have a killer hidden, dog-friendly back patio (leashed pups are allowed indoors, too).
Sweaty Betty’s has long been a safe space for anyone to come and have a drink and a good time (except for assholes, as their Instagram firmly states) but when the current owner, May Brand, took over, it became an unapologetically queer-owned business, too. An industry veteran, Brand always hosts queer nights and platforms queer DJs — just keep an eye on their Instagram to stay up-to-date.
Craig’s Cookies
Multiple Locations
June is a meaningful month for the LGBTQ2S+ community, but as rainbow flags — and, occasionally, cringey catchphrases — begin to appear across corporate storefronts, it doesn’t always feel like genuine allyship. For Craig Pike, founder of Craig’s Cookies, Pride isn’t just clever marketing: It’s baked into everything he does.
Since launching his baked empire from his Parkdale apartment over a decade ago, Pike has done so much to make the community feel welcome year-round, from donating proceeds to organizations like Friends of Ruby, a nonprofit supporting queer youth, to decking out his store walls and windows in trans and Pride flag colours. Though Pride cookies are available year round, Craigs Cookies steps things up each June with a handful of limited-edition flavours. You won’t want to miss this year’s collection, featuring colourful cookies like Cotton Candy, Rainbow Flag and Pride Brownie.
