A new year means the promise of more brands making their Toronto debut. The list of upcoming arrivals includes long-awaited American burgers, luxury Chinese dining, and a Calgary arcade bar chain.

Here are some well-known restaurant brands coming to Toronto in 2024.

Shake Shack

Back in March, the famous New York burger joint announced a partnership with two Toronto private investment firms to bring their beef to Canada.

The company aims to have 35 locations across the country by 2035, but its flagship spot will be in Toronto next year.

Technically, this isn't its first appearance in Toronto. Shake Shack had a pop-up experience in the city all the way back in 2017.

Shake Shack has a presence across the U.S. and in over 150 international locations including London, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Singapore, Mexico City, Istanbul, Dubai, Tokyo, and Seoul — so it's a wonder it took them this long to get to their northern neighbours.

GRETA Bar

A Calgary arcade bar will be opening a 12,500-square-foot Toronto edition in the new year at 590 King St. W. It'll offer over 50 arcade games, including Tetris, Street Figher, Pac Man, and Mario Kart, along with street food, craft beers, and cocktails. The cofounders also promise plans for live music on weekend nights.

GRETA first opened in Calgary back in 2018, before expanding to Edmonton in 2019 and Vancouver in 2022.

L'Avenue

A hot spot in Montreal for breakfast and brunch will be making its debut on the upper floor of The Well.

L'Avenue first opened in 1994 and now has three locations in Montreal and one in Saudi Arabia. When it comes to Toronto in 2024, drop by and maybe it'll brush against the competition for your favourite eggs benny in the city.

Mott 32

The luxury brand for Chinese fine dining has had its sights set on Toronto for a while. It's confirmed to be taking over the vacated Momofuku Toronto restaurant inside the Shangri-La hotel at 180 University Avenue — but there's no solid date for its arrival.

The first Mott 32 opened in 2014 in Hong Kong. Then about seven years ago, the brand entered Canada via Vancouver. It's also present in Dubai, Las Vegas, Cebu, Bangkok, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Seoul.

Nobu

Another tentative 2024 opening is the famed Nobu restaurant that's already been in development for six years at 15-35 Mercer St.

It had first planned to welcome guests in 2022, this year, and now 2024. Whenever it does open its doors, Nobu's first Canadian location will be part of a 45-storey, two-tower development featuring a boutique hotel and 660 condominium units above. 

The restaurant itself will be 15,000 square feet across two levels, with separate bar and lounge spaces, two private dining rooms, a sushi bar, and an outdoor terrace.

When blogTO talked to a Nobu Hotels representative in October, they were unable to confirm a specific opening date.