Last call at the Imperial Pub

By Andy Lee

Beers and tears flowed on the final night at the Imperial Pub, slated for demolition to make way for a new 21-storey TMU student residence. Students and community members flocked to the iconic Toronto bar in the weeks prior to the bar’s closure on Saturday, Nov. 15, to soak in the old-school vibes and say goodbye to the beloved establishment.

The Imperial Pub was founded in 1944 by Jack Newman and remained a family business, later owned by his son Fred. In recent years, it was also run with the help of Fred’s sons Ricky and Sam. All three were overwhelmed by the “unexpectedly warm” send-off from the city.

“The response from the public, especially from TMU students, has been beyond anything we possibly could have imagined,” said Ricky. “It’s just been astonishing how much love we’ve received.”

On the final night, patrons were invited to take home books as souvenirs from the upstairs “Library Pub,” a popular TMU hangout lined with bookshelves, framed photos of jazz giants, houseplants and inviting leather couches, as well as a pool table and vintage jukebox for good measure. Some students collected signatures in their tomes like yearbooks, giving the night a bittersweet air similar to graduation.

Three students sitting on a pool table with beer cans and books in a crowded bar — Since its opening in 1978, the upper-level “Imperial Public Library” has been a second home to TMU students.

Jessica Wu, a second-year Documentary Media MFA student at TMU, had been coming weekly with her classmates for pitchers of beer and chicken wings.

“The Imperial has held so many of my emotions and it was very special to be able to yap it all out one last time with my friends there,” she said. “Knowing it’s the last time you will be somewhere is very special; you learn to carefully appreciate the space and the moment!”

Much of the pub has stayed the same over its eight decades, from its main-floor Old Vegas-esque aquarium installed in 1950 and surrounding circular bar added in 1975, to the wood paneling, comfortable couches and cozy lighting reminiscent of a ’70s living room.

“It has a very comfortable aura and the ambience is nice,” said Francesca Badinotti, a recent TMU Nutrition graduate who frequented the bar during her university years. “The staff was always wonderful and it was the place to go to for afterhours.”

Given the outpouring of support from the community, the Newman brothers are now considering the possibility of reopening in a new location—a previously unfathomable idea. In the meantime, they are busy packing up their iconic red neon sign, furnishings and memorabilia for storage.

“A couple months ago, we would have said not in a million years would we ever try to recreate this because it’s impossible,” said Ricky. “But right now I’m feeling like I’ll miss it too much not to at least consider trying.”

Sam, Fred and Ricky Newman inside the Imperial Pub — “It was an honour to have been able to do this for all my life.”: Fred Newman, centre, inherited the Imperial Pub from his grandfather Jack and is now handing over the reins to his sons Sam, left, and Ricky, right.

A revival would be welcome news to Kadin Fehr, a fourth-year History and Film Studies student at the University of Toronto, who visited the Imperial for the first time this summer after experiencing a falling out with a close friend.

“I had no clue that such a place had existed near me, but it was very comforting to see people happy,” he said. “I knew then that this was somewhere I wanted to document—not in a researched way, although the place has a long and storied history—but more as a reflection for what I was dealing with, a space of friendship that seemed eternal but reminds us how relentless change is.”

Fred said they always strived to provide a “beautiful, calm environment,” from soft jazz floating in the background to unconditionally welcoming their visitors.

“I didn’t realize we were the only place where a girl or a woman could come by herself, sit down and read a book, not order anything and nobody would bother them,” he said. “We made a space that was safe and comfortable. And if you didn’t order a drink, we didn’t care. Apparently, this was very unusual in Toronto.”

The Imperial is the latest cultural loss in a string of closures of cherished Toronto venues, including the Velvet Underground, Dakota Tavern and Clinton’s. While the Newmans are sad to leave their longstanding home on campus, they are “delighted” that the space will be used for TMU student housing and classrooms, rather than the original plans which detailed another condo development.

“TMU has been our best neighbours, customers and friends,” said Sam. “You’ve supported us in every possible way, and that’s meant the whole world to us. Thank you, TMU.”