Lox + Schmear plans to leave its current home at 1030 St. Clair Ave. W. and reopen elsewhere in Toronto, according to a GoFundMe campaign organized by owner Lev Levine.
The company has not announced where it will relocate or confirmed a reopening date, but Levine hopes to welcome customers in early 2027.
The business is seeking CA$40,000 to cover move-related costs. As of publication, the campaign had collected more than CA$26,000 from over 260 donors.
Levine said the shop endured a series of equipment and building problems in 2026. An improperly installed HVAC system required about CA$7,000 in repairs in March. The following month, a fire elsewhere in the building activated the sprinklers and flooded the back of the shop, forcing a five-week closure.
A power disruption in July shut down the main refrigeration system, destroying the food inventory and costing the business another CA$12,000, according to the campaign. Lox + Schmear closed for three more weeks in August to complete repairs related to the spring flooding.
“Staying in our current space is no longer sustainable for this business or our team,” Levine wrote on the GoFundMe page.
The fundraising goal covers a CA$13,000 commercial lease deposit, about CA$2,000 in legal expenses, CA$4,000 to relocate the HVAC equipment, and CA$3,000 to move the kitchen equipment. Additional money will go toward preparing the new location.
Lox + Schmear opened in 2017 and operates as a small-batch fish smokehouse. The team prepares its smoked Atlantic salmon in-house and slices it by hand. Its bagels come from St. Urbain Bagel’s Bathurst and Eglinton location.
The current location remains open Friday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Follow Lox + Schmear on Instagram for relocation updates.
