Piano Piano shuts down Chef's Hall location

A pizza joint in a downtown food hall has closed after almost a year in operation.

Known for its tagline of serving tasty and f*#kn delicious pizzas, Piano Piano is a well-known Italian restaurant opened by one of the country’s top chefs, Victor Barry, with his wife Nikki Leigh McKean and business partner Brendan Piunno.

Since opening in 2016, the business has expanded its footprint across the GTA including sister space Piccolo Piano, operated a virtual restaurant, Victory Pizza, and introduced a line of frozen pizzas.

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The team added a quick service take-out counter in the revamped Chef’s Hall to their portfolio in June of 2022. Also known as Piano Piano, it was the only outpost that served Brooklyn-style takeout pizza, and the only branch to sell those pies whole or by the slice.

Sadly, after less than a year in operation, the pizza joint is no longer.

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“The reason for leaving [Chef’s Hall] was because we really needed to refocus our time, energy and effort on our core businesses which are the restaurants and our f*#kn delicious frozen pizzas,” Barry tells blogTO.

However, not all is lost because those in need of a f*#kn delicious pizza fix don’t have to venture far: Piano Piano’s fourth branch is located at 55 Colborne Street. Opened in December 2022, it’s exactly a kilometre away from the now-shuttered takeaway spot.

However, that’s it for the Brooklyn-style pizza that was sold at Chef’s Hall. (The version at Piano Piano’s full-service restaurant is made using 100% naturally leavened sourdough and is cooked in a wood-fired oven.)

“I loved being a part of Chef’s Hall and I’ve always thought it was and is a great concept,” said Barry. “[Now,] with the leadership of Brandon Olson [(formerly of La Banane and CXBO fame; currently of The Grateful Chicken and the culinary director of Chef’s Hall)] and the Compass Group Canada behind it, I think Chef’s Hall is going to be a smashing success in the future.”

Piano Piano at Chef’s Hall closed on March 31, 2023.