500 Bloor Street W. (AROMA)

[Tallinn to Toronto 4]

500 Bloor Street West is by far the shit ugliest building in the Annex. It's across the street from Starbucks (at Albany) and used to house a JJ Mugs and later the JD's Grill House. The building itself is a hunk of ugly cladded cheapo reflective glass (think bad 90's style) with these horrible green fake marble pillars around the street level. Here's an old shot:

http://theannex.com/Foodshop/northside/500jds/jds.jpg

Anyway, it's been boarded up for a while now with a big sign reading "Aroma" down the side. It looks as though there's finally some progress and currently the hideous marble slabs are being covered up!!!

I did some research and found out AROMA ESPRESSO BAR is a chain of cafe / restaurants started in ISREAL. SoHo in NYC got the first AROMA in N.A. (apparently it's pretty thriving) and it looks as though a pretty good effort went into its design:

http://www.aroma.co.il/Aromae/International/images/usa01.gif

http://www.aroma.co.il/Aromae/International/images/usa02.gif

Hopefully the shit looking building will be revived. Whether or not the Annex requires another cafe will be seen. At least it's not a sushi restaurant.

Also, does anyone know what's going on with the old TD building at Bloor and Bathurst?

[Taller, Better]

This is not really a development. It sounds like it is just a new tenant for an existing building. The photo of Aroma interiors looks like the University of Manitoba circa 1975.

I remember the ugly green pillars being put up in the late 80's. It was a JJ Muggs type of chain.

[Tallinn to Toronto 4]

oops, I thought I was posting in the Toronto Section.

[phunky]

If they make the inside look that good it will be great! I'd definitely wanna visit. I love my cafes :P

[Taller, Better]

It is definitely 70's retro. Maybe it seems more exciting if you are young enough not to have lived through a whole decade of it already! LOL!

[isaidso]

Is this the same AROMA chain that is all over London, UK? If so, they are just another Israeli Second Cup.

That SoHo AROMA interior is fab! At first glance, I thought it was the interior of that awful Annex building. I almost fell off my chair till I read that it was a SoHo cafe. Shucks!!! I would have found myself a new regular hang out. How upsetting to get all wound up only to realize that it's some where else.

:cry: :bash: :cry: