Bar Buca has been locked out of its midtown location after owing thousands of dollars in rent, says a sign on the door. 

The Yonge and Eglinton outpost of the popular Italian spot from the King Street Food Company has been kicked out of its sprawling Eglinton Avenue location after owing Madison Properties Inc. more than $22,000 in arrears. 

A notice dated October 1, 2020 states that the King Street Company has five days to pay the total owed before goods and chattels are seized. 

It's unclear whether Bar Buca's Yonge and Eg location will reopen. All four of Buca's locations have remained closed during the pandemic as well as other restaurants owned by the same company including Jacob's & Co., La Banane and Jamie's Italian.

The brand is now doing pick-up and delivery only from what was slated to become the brand's family-style dining concept, Cucina Buca, at 2 St. Clair West. 

Plans to open Cucina Buca were announced in 2018, but the restaurant's official launch has been postponed since even before the pandemic began.

A letter sent to suppliers at the end of July paints a dim picture of a company losing money and unable to pay its bills. A copy of this letter is included below.

Letter sent July 30 by Accounts Payable

Re: King Street Food Company Inc and Subsidiary Companies [Jacobs & Co, Buca King, Buca Yorkville, Bar Buca Eglinton, Bar Buca Portland, Buca Cucina, La Banane, Jamies Italian Yorkdale, Jamies Italian Square One]

This letter is being distributed to update key stakeholders including suppliers, creditors, employees and landlords of the status of the operations of King Street Company Inc. and its subsidiaries.

All restaurant operations at all of our premises, including the locations referenced above, were closed the week of March 15^th in accordance with the orders of the government of Ontario. This action forced us to temporarily suspend payments to our suppliers.

Along with many in the industry, we have reconfigured our operations and have developed a very limited take-out and delivery business.

As the government has allowed phased re-openings through the summer we have made the decision to not open or expand any patio operations at this time.

At this time there is no ability address any outstanding amounts owing and we are not in a position to make any arrangements with any individual supplier.

We acknowledge the recent announcement from the government of Ontario that allows for restaurant re-openings and that many are eager to understand what that means for the stakeholders of King Street Food Company.

We have chosen to take a measured approach to reopening our business. We continue to be highly concerned with the health and safety of our employees, patrons and the public with the ongoing prevalence of Covid-19 in our community and the possibility of a “surge” of new cases.

We will not be reopening our restaurant operations at this first opportunity as we monitor developments. We continue to work through our plans to reopen our multiple restaurant operations as safely as possible with a view to adopting industry best practices.

We continue to ask our key stakeholder for continued patience during this challenging time. As our plans develop, we will reach out to you to discuss outstanding amounts and a proposal that ensures our survival and continued partnership.