Two established Toronto food businesses create a shared neighbourhood hub
Two well-known Toronto food operators have joined forces in a single storefront in the Roncesvalles area, combining a daytime bakery-café with a barbecue restaurant to offer both sweet and savoury menus across the day.
XO Bisous, which relocated to St. Clair and Bathurst in 2024 after opening its first location in the Financial District in 2016, now shares space with Barque Smokehouse, the Roncesvalles barbecue restaurant that has operated on that strip for 15 years.
How the partnership works
The arrangement uses the same kitchen and dining footprint to stage two distinct programs. XO Bisous continues to serve coffee and pastries seven days a week, while Barque runs a savoury menu during weekday and weekend service windows. The combined concept soft-launched in late April 2026 and was reported as fully operational about three months later.
- XO Bisous: pastry and café service, all day, seven days a week.
- Barque Smokehouse: lunch service seven days a week; dinner service Wednesday through Sunday.
- Shared kitchen and blended menus for brunch and special weekday offerings.
Barque owner David Neinstein told media the match made sense because the bakery’s kitchen sat unused past 5 p.m., creating an opportunity to expand the smokehouse north of Bloor without opening an entirely separate site.
"It was a great fit, so we created a blended space where Barque took over the savoury food program," Neinstein said.
Menu and neighbourhood impact
The merged operation offers patrons convenience and variety: customers can order savoury barbecue lunch items during daytime service and stay for desserts and coffee from XO Bisous without leaving the building. The partnership also features combined brunch menus that draw from both operators’ staples.
| Service | Days |
|---|---|
| XO Bisous (pastries, coffee) | Seven days a week |
| Barque (lunch) | Seven days a week |
| Barque (dinner) | Wednesday–Sunday |
The partnership also markets special promotions: weekday and weekend features such as all-you-can-eat chicken wings on Wednesdays and all-you-can-eat baby back ribs on Sundays were noted as part of the collaborative offering.
For Roncesvalles and neighbouring residents, the arrangement represents a creative use of existing commercial space and a way for two neighbourhood brands to expand their reach while maintaining their distinct identities. It may also point to a growing trend among small food businesses in Toronto to share resources and minimise costs while broadening service hours.
Both businesses remain operational under their own names within the single location, giving diners access to the full range of bakery items and barbecue fare in one stop.
