Toronto's most famous TTC subway station store has permanently closed
A store inside a Toronto subway station has officially closed its doors, ending years of memories for many who’ve passed through.
It’s been suggested that the Jamaican Patty could be considered the unofficial food of Toronto, and I’m obliged to agree.
Whether it’s a late-night snack after a night of heavy indulgence in adult beverages or an after-work pick-me-up on your commute home, there’s something in the well-spiced, piping-hot filling and flaky crust (not to mention the unbeatable price) of these Caribbean delicacies that just makes you feel at home — and nowhere was this more true than at Warden Station’s seminal Bakery on the Go.
For 25 years, the shop, alongside Warden’s other retail vendors, has been the heartbeat of the TTC station, flooding the space with hearty aromas that awaken nostalgic memories of passing through and picking up a patty on the way.
It’s the end of an era for Warden’s assorted vendors, though, because as of November 30, they’ve all officially closed their doors as the Warden Station Revitalization Project has entered the phase of revitalizing the station’s bus terminal.
Warden Station, which first opened in 1968, will soon undergo an enormous, two-year facelift. The revamp will include the addition of a brand-new three-level hub containing a revamped bus concourse, terminal, entrance, and subway platform.
It will also become the latest station in the city to finally receive a much-needed accessibility upgrade. Six new retail units are also in the main station, which, TTC spokesperson Stuart Green tells blogTO, could quite possibly house the vendors who are being kicked out for the renovation.
“There will be retail in the redeveloped station. Not in the temporary bus platform,” he says. “Current tenants will be encouraged to return but all retail occupancy will be under new leases.”
So, while the beloved Bakery on the Go and its fellow Warden Station commuter cuisine staples are gone for now, there’s still a chance — albeit an unguaranteed one — that it’ll make a grand comeback in the coming years.
Until then, you’re not completely out of luck the next time you find yourself hankering for a good old-fashioned subway patty.
The legendary Warden Station patties actually came from Fahmee Bakery, which is very much alive and well at its Brockton Village brick-and-mortar location and continues to stock its assorted delicacies at the city’s other Bakery on the Go locations at Bathurst and Islington stations.
The Warden Station Revitalization Project is currently slated to be completed in the latter half of 2027.