Adamson BBQ permanently closes all three locations
Following a lengthy battle against COVID-19 regulations and most recently Ontario’s vaccine certificate, all three Adamson Barbecue locations have shut down.
In an interview with the Toronto Star, Adam Skelly, owner of the BBQ establishments, stated that he sees “no end in sight that doesn’t involve discriminating against a segment of society.”
This led to his decision to permanently close down all locations.
Skelly explained that he doesn’t want to comply with Ontario’s mandated vaccine certificate but he also can’t stand against it because of his current bail situation.
In September, days prior to the new mandate, Skelly shared he would be temporarily closing his locations as he is “bound by bail conditions (50k bond) and a court order to comply with the Reopening Ontario Act.”
Adamson BBQ has been outspoken in the past year over the provincial government’s handling of the pandemic, lockdowns, and its effect on businesses.
Last November, Skelly’s Etobicoke location broke provincial regulations by letting customers dine indoors despite rules permitting otherwise.
Gaining notoriety for his actions and protests against regulations by loyal followers, as first reported by the Toronto Star, it was uncovered that Skelly had never owned a business licence for its Leaside location.
To make matters even more difficult, Skelly also had his Aurora location shut down in July 2021 by its landlord due to almost $50,000 in unpaid rent.
Following the chain’s shut down, kitchen equipment used by Adamson BBQ is now being auctioned off, putting the final nail in the coffin.
Despite the news, Skelly continues to remain active on his restaurants Instagram account.