TORONTO -- A bar in Toronto's Entertainment District that has been in business for nearly three decades is thanking its customers for “all the crockin’ good times” after announcing it is closing its doors for good.
In a statement released on social media this week, Crocodile Rock announced that the owners of the nightclub have been "put in a position to permanently close."
"The success of our business over the years was not only about good business decisions, rather it was about the thousands of people that danced on our speakers, enjoyed a bucket of beer on our patio and hosted office parties," the bar wrote on Instagram.
The long-standing Toronto nightclub, located near Adelaide and Duncan streets, also thanked its staff members in its farewell message.
"The people we had working for us were the backbone of our success and we are sorry we can't have you back. We are confident our paths will cross again and we hope to start a new chapter of our lives and make some new memories," the statement continued.
Bars, restaurants, and many retail shops have been forced to close in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and Crocodile Rock is just the most recent in string of small businesses that have permanently shuttered due to the crisis.
The federal government has launched some initiatives to assist small businesses, including commercial rent relief and wage subsidy programs, but many owners have suggested that far too many businesses are falling through the cracks.
The commercial rent relief program, for example, requires landlords to apply and many small business owners say their landlords are refusing to participate.
The Broadview-Danforth Business Improvement Area surveyed hundreds of small businesses across Toronto last month and found that nearly two-thirds of them may have to close down for good within three months.
