Cono Gelato, a new gelato shop from former Canis chefs Jeff Kang and Tosh Agassiz, is getting ready to open in Toronto at 932 College Street.
The new business is scheduled to open in mid-July, according to co-owner Tosh Agassiz, who tells What Now Toronto that customers can expect 12 rotating gelato flavors, all made in-house, along with brown butter waffle cones, gelato cakes, and waffle ice cream sandwiches. The menu will feature both nostalgic and seasonal flavors, including inspirations drawn from desserts previously served at Canis, such as sunflower, chocolate, and smoked maple syrup. The shop will also feature a front window where customers can watch the waffle cones being made.
Kang and Agassiz first met in 2011 while working at Diva at the Met in Vancouver before eventually relocating to Toronto, according to Toronto Life. Kang joined the opening team at the Shangri-La Toronto, with Agassiz following afterward. In 2016, the chefs opened Canis together, a restaurant that became known for its elevated Canadian cuisine and seasonal tasting menus. The restaurant later closed during the pandemic.
Following the closure of Canis, the two chefs pursued separate projects for several years. Agassiz moved back to Vancouver and began developing an ice cream concept, while Kang remained in Toronto and opened Oroshi Fish Co. before later launching Takja BBQ House. After Agassiz returned to Toronto and began operating Fare Food Co. in the city’s east end, the pair decided to revisit the idea of opening an ice cream shop together.
According to Agassiz, Cono Gelato has been years in the making. “Jeff and I have talked about opening an ice cream shop for years. We first met in 2011 and eventually opened Canis together, but an ice cream concept was always something we wanted to do,” Agassiz says. “When I moved back to Toronto, we decided it was finally time to make it happen.”
While both owners come from fine-dining backgrounds, Cono Gelato is intended to offer a more casual, everyday experience for the neighborhood. “We wanted to create a place where someone could stop in for a scoop after dinner, bring their family on a weekend, or become a regular in the neighborhood,” Agassiz says. “With Cono, we get to bring the same creativity and care we developed in fine dining to something familiar, nostalgic, and meant to be enjoyed by everyone.”
