A five-alarm blaze gutted one of Toronto's landmark restaurants yesterday, after a suspected kitchen fire grew out of control at Yorkville's celebrity hangout, Sassafraz bistro.
More than 130 firefighters and 29 fire trucks spent hours trying to bring the fire under control. Firefighters climbed onto the roof of the eatery and tore holes in it to let super-hot gases spew out, shrouding one of Toronto's most upscale neighbourhoods in smoke.
A passerby called in the fire at around 11:30 a.m., and police, firefighters and medics rushed to the scene. The fire appears to have been mostly contained in the restaurant's second floor, and no injuries were reported.
Fire Chief Bill Stewart said the fire appears to have started in the kitchen. An investigation into its cause has begun, and for now foul play is not suspected.
The extent of the damage to Sassafraz is not yet known, and it is not clear whether the turn-of-the-century building at the corner of Cumberland and Bellair Streets can be saved.
The fire was the most dramatic event in Sassafraz's colourful nine-year history -- a history that, in part, highlights Yorkville's own transformation from hippie hangout to a premium-priced sanctuary for the rich and famous.
In July of 1997, Samir Seef and Zoran Kocovski opened Sassafraz restaurant. The two businessmen had previously worked together on another venture, Triple Communications Inc. According to court documents, TCI operated an Internet chat line and dating service for subscribers, as well as a business called "Fantasy Calls."
Sassafraz was built on the grounds of what used to be the Bellair Café, a popular neighbourhood hangout. According to some of Sassafraz's former employees, the new restaurant took some time to build its current customer base.
"The first year and a half was very difficult," said Jean-Jacques Texier, a chef at Sassafraz from 1997 to 2001 and its former general manager. "It was a big operation and the neighbourhood was very upset about it; they had to reinvent the clientele."
In 1997, shortly before opening, Sassafraz suffered its first fire. According to Mr. Texier, staff caught the fire early on, preventing extensive damage. Still, he said, much of the electrical system had to be redone.
But the launch of Sassafraz was something of a sign of the times for Yorkville, which in the 1960s became known as ground zero for Toronto's hippie culture. However, over the next few decades it morphed into one of the most upscale neighbourhoods in the country, packed with pricey boutiques and illegally parked super cars.
The new restaurant cashed in on the shift in demographics, quickly building a reputation as the place to be for celebrity-spotters. Famous guests include Mick Jagger, Bono and Sylvester Stallone. Just about every celebrity who ever set foot in Sassafraz has been photographed and displayed on the restaurant's website. The celebrity culture fuelled the restaurant's success, especially during Toronto's film festival season.
That success, in turn, helped pay for million-dollar renovations. Even though former employees say Sassafraz's turnover rate was unusually high -- the restaurant's former head chef left recently, and a significant portion of the kitchen staff followed -- it still thrived.
"One thing I do believe is that Sassafraz is the best location for a restaurant in the country," Mr. Texier said. "It's an absolutely incredible corner. I think that's mainly why the restaurant was successful -- any other location and it would have been a fiasco."
In early 2002, Mr. Seef was killed in a car accident in Egypt. His death set off a legal battle involving his former girlfriend, Iwona Radziwilko, who sued his brother for part of Mr. Seef's estate, claiming she was his dependant. After Mr. Seef died, Ms. Radziwilko began a romantic relationship with Mr. Kocovski, who helped finance her lawsuit, court documents show.
Mr. Kocovski did not respond to phone calls from The Globe and Mail yesterday.
It is unclear if or when Sassafraz will reopen its doors. Yesterday, businesses near Cumberland and Bellair were evacuated and pedestrian traffic blocked off from the surrounding area as firefighters struggled with the burning building.
Police also blocked most vehicles from Bloor Street between Bay Street and Avenue Road, backing up traffic for much of the day. Passersby watched and snapped pictures.
"Seeing it go up in smoke is really sad, I'm pretty touched about that," Mr. Texier said yesterday. "I'm probably going to go by tonight and have a look, let it sink in."