One Of our Top Local Faves Heads East with Its First Toronto Outpost
DOWNLOW CHICKEN - Toronto
Neighborhood: Harbord Village
Address: 538 Manning Ave, Toronto
Vancouver’s cult-favourite fried chicken brand Downlow Chicken Shack has officially expanded to Toronto! This marks the company’s first location outside of its West Coast home base. The new restaurant opened on March 24th at 538 Manning Avenue, in the Harbord Village.
Founded in Vancouver and known for its famous Nashville-style hot chicken, Downlow has built its reputation on spicy chicken sandwiches, fries, tenders, and a distinctly modern fast-casual energy. In Toronto, the brand is bringing that same identity to a neighbourhood setting rather than chasing a louder entertainment district, a move founder Doug Stephen has said was intentional. The team chose Harbord Village for its character and independent food culture, aiming to build the kind of local following that made the original Vancouver operation so beloved.
The Toronto launch leaned into opening-week hype. Downlow has promoted a free OG Sando for the first 100 guests at the grand opening, underscoring the playful, high-demand energy that has long surrounded the brand. For a Vancouver original to land in Toronto with this much buzz says a lot about how far Downlow’s reputation has travelled!
