Here's why this couple closed their Toronto bar for one in Stratford
A Toronto couple has closed their bar in The Junction Triangle to focus on their bar in Stratford.
The Gaslight near Bloor and Dundas closed at the end of 2023 after ten years in the business. The beloved bar was known for making that area of the neighbourhood a lot more lively.
While the announcement came as a shock to regulars, it was time to move on for business and real-life partners Megan Jones and Tim Pritchard. The couple had already been living in Stratford since the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Stratford is a pretty amazing town that has a lot of the big city things going for it," Jones says. "It's got an incredible food scene; it's obviously got the festival and it's a great community to raise children in."
The cost of living did have a factor in moving to Stratford too. "[Toronto] was getting expensive, especially with children, so we were definitely looking for somewhere to raise them with a better standard of living," Jones says.
In October 2023, the couple opened a bar in downtown Stratford called The Starlight, which Jones calls their "Gaslight 2.0," since it's the couple's second business venture.
Similar to The Gaslight, The Starlight aims to be a casual and welcoming neighbourhood snack bar with friendly service. The space is larger in comparison, however — The Gaslight was charmingly tiny.
While it's only been a few months since The Starlight opened, business is doing well so far, Jones says.
"People seem to be really enjoying what we're offering and it seems like we might have filled a niche here," she says.
"We want it to be a place for people living in Stratford, as well as tourists. [It's the] same thing as The Gaslight. It was really about the people in that neighbourhood."
It was a busy time for Jones and Pritchard taking care of The Gaslight while living in Stratford and while also running two businesses at the same time, but luckily the staff at the Toronto establishment were more than helpful, Jones says.
"We were just lucky we had amazing people to take care of it," she says.
Jesse Milns
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