Longstanding Toronto fishmonger closing down after over a decade
A beloved Toronto fishmonger that’s been a neighbourhood cornerstone for over a decade is closing down at the end of the month.
Kensington Market is among the most community-centric neighbourhoods in Toronto; a tall order, considering the city’s growing population and residents’ increasing tendency to stick within their own circles.
It’s this exact community-first attitude in Kensington that’s allowed the neighbourhood to foster a number of legendary local spots, from Courage My Love to Augusta Fruit Market and many in between.
Local fishmonger business, Hooked Inc., is one such stalwart.
The business was born in 2011, when founders Kristin and Dan Donovan opened Hooked’s original location in Leslieville, selling some of the highest-quality, sustainably caught, local seafood in the city, and their Kensington location quickly followed in 2012.
Hooked didn’t have a monopoly on the fresh fish business along Baldwin Street, with other local staples like Sea Kings and Coral Sea just across the street, but the small shop carved its place in the market, becoming a near-instant favourite.
Nowadays, Hooked Inc. operates three locations in the city, with an additional spot landing in Etobicoke, but that’s soon to change, as Hooked Inc. prepares to close the doors of their Kensington location after nearly 13 years.
In a video posted to Hooked’s Instagram on Mother’s Day 2025, Kristin explains that a combination of the difficult financial state of the world right now, paired with the shifting currents of Kensington Market, ultimately led them to make the decision to close the business.
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“Kensington is the best, we love the market. It’s full of little shops, often Mom-and-Pop shops, generationally owned, and it’s a special place for those of us in the city of Toronto,” Kristin says in the video.
“This makes it especially hard for me to let you know that we’re actually closing the Kensington shop at the end of June.”
She goes on to explain that a number of reasons contributed to her decision to close down the shop, emphasizing the need to focus on their two bigger locations while expressing her keen desire to maintain the community that’s been built around Hooked Inc. in Kensington Market over the years.
In a follow-up post made on June 4, Kristin elaborates that the cultural and social shifts in Kensington Market over the past few years similarly bolstered her and Dan’s decision to close the shop.
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“We opened our wee gem of a shop on Baldwin in Kensington Market almost 13 years ago,” the caption of the post reads. “Kensington was full of small businesses, many family owned, some generational. The direction, clientele and shopping habits of the market have changed in the last decade.”
That shift, Kristin writes, is what ultimately guided their decision to leave the neighbourhood at the end of June.
“We love the market. We will miss you.”
There are still a few days left to swing by Hooked Inc.’s Kensington Market location before it’s gone for good on June 30, but, on the bright side, you can still pick up your fill of sustainable, fresh seafood from Hooked’s other locations in Leslieville and Etobicoke for the foreseeable future.
Hooked Inc. Kensington Market
Address:Ā 206 Baldwin St., Toronto
Phone:Ā 416-551-2755
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