Shoeless Joe's is a sports-themed
restaurant chain located in
Ontario, Canada
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...
. The chain was founded in
Toronto, Ontario
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...
, in 1985.
They specialize in
chicken wings but have a wide range of items on their menu. They are also known for their large complex of sports entertainment channels.
The name is a reference to a former
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL) ...
player named
Shoeless Joe Jackson
Joseph Jefferson Jackson (July 16, 1887 – December 5, 1951), nicknamed "Shoeless Joe", was an American outfielder who played Major League Baseball (MLB) in the early 1900s. Although his .356 career batting average is the fourth highest ...
.
Stores
The original location was on
Eglinton Avenue
Eglinton Avenue is a major east–west arterial thoroughfare in Toronto and Mississauga in the Canadian province of Ontario. The street begins at Highway 407 (but does not interchange with the tollway) at the western limits of Mississauga, as a ...
in Toronto, Ontario, as a local community
sports bar
Bar or BAR may refer to:
Food and drink
* Bar (establishment), selling alcoholic beverages
* Candy bar
* Chocolate bar
Science and technology
* Bar (river morphology), a deposit of sediment
* Bar (tropical cyclone), a layer of cloud
* Bar (un ...
. Investor Fred Lopreiato purchased it within several years, and the first franchised location opened in 1991. In later years, he was joined by his son, Frank Lopreiato, as President of the Company.
[ From 2011 until 2014, the franchise changed its image from that of a local sports bar to a "premium sports grill aesthetic."][ By 2014, there were over 34 locations in Ontario, in locations such as Courtney Park, Mississauga, with most franchised.][
Shoeless Joe's Sports Grill reopened after renovation and a change in ownership on December 12, 2016, located in the Whitby Entertainment Centrum in ]Whitby
Whitby is a seaside town, port and civil parish in the Scarborough borough of North Yorkshire, England. Situated on the east coast of Yorkshire at the mouth of the River Esk, Whitby has a maritime, mineral and tourist heritage. Its East Clif ...
. In July 2016, it was reported that the developer Stonebridge was planning to open a Shoeless Joe's restaurant in Peterborough, Canada
Peterborough ( ) is a city on the Otonabee River in Ontario, Canada, about 125 kilometres (78 miles) northeast of Toronto. According to the 2021 Census, the population of the City of Peterborough was 83,651. The population of the Peterborou ...
. The two former restaurants in the city had closed, with a new 4,560-square-foot building planned.
In July 2016, the first location of the chain was opened outside Ontario, in Stonebridge, Saskatoon
Stonebridge is a mostly residential neighbourhood located in south-central Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. It is a suburban subdivision, consisting of low-density, single detached dwellings and a mix of medium-density apartment and semi-detached ...
, Saskatchewan.
See also
*List of Canadian restaurant chains
Although many of the largest restaurant chains in Canada are US-based (McDonald's and Yum Brands among others), some Canadian-based (owned and operated from Canada) restaurant chains are growing and have expanded into other markets, especially i ...
References
External links
Shoeless Joe's
Restaurants established in 1985
Regional restaurant chains in Canada
Sports-themed restaurants
Restaurant chains in Canada
1985 establishments in Ontario
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