Beast Pizza, a Toronto-based restaurant known for its open kitchen and whole animal dinners, is preparing to expand to Kitchener.
The new location will mark the brand’s first outside Toronto and will offer both by-the-slice pizza service and full dinner options, according to YourCityWithin. The company’s Kitchener restaurant will be an extension of Beast Pizza’s existing concept but tailored to the new market. While an exact opening date has yet to be announced, co-owner and chef Nathan Middleton has temporarily paused the restaurant’s signature whole animal dinners to focus on the build-out. Standard pizza and pasta service continues at the Toronto location.
Beast Pizza evolved from Beast, the former nose-to-tail restaurant on Tecumseth Street, which was operated by Middleton and business partner Scott Vivian. The current concept maintains the same emphasis on bold, meat-forward cooking with a casual American-Italian lens. The Kitchener location signals the beginning of a broader expansion strategy, with a second Toronto location also under consideration.
Beast’s whole-animal dinners, which are scheduled to return in January 2026, feature a six-course tasting menu centered around a single animal. Guests choose the animal and an “adventure level,” which determines how adventurous the cuts will be. The dinners feature dishes like blood pasta, smoked sweetbreads, and seafood-based desserts.
The Kitchener expansion enables Beast to introduce its creative approach to a new audience while reducing operational complexity during the launch phase. The new location is expected to maintain the brand’s signature balance of chef-driven experimentation and approachable comfort food.
Chef Middleton, who trained in French technique and cites influences like Joel Robuchon and the Roux Brothers, says the goal is to offer a neighborhood spot that doesn’t compromise on creativity or quality.
