GarfieldEats was a ghost restaurant themed after the Garfield franchise. It was founded in 2018 by Nathen Mazri and Pascal Haider.[1] The restaurant had locations in Dubai, U.A.E.; Toronto, Ontario; and London, Ontario. The Toronto location closed on November 9, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and a dispute over rent;[2][3] an earlier dispute that year resulted in the restaurant closing temporarily.[4] It has since been reduced to a frozen foods brand, selling only "Big Cow" Lasagnas.[5]
GarfieldEats featured entries such as lasagna (the title character's favorite food), Garfield-shaped pizza, "Garficcinos", smoothies, and Garfield-shaped dark chocolate bars.[1][6][7] Customers could order food by using mobile phones attached to a restaurant's walls; or the GarfieldEats phone app for delivery.[6] The app also allowed customers to play games and to watch episodes of Garfield and Friends.[7]
The restaurant's slogan, "Love Me, Feed Me, Don't Leave Me", was based on the Garfield quote "Love me, feed me, never leave me"; Nathen Mazri was particularly inspired by its appearance in Garfield: The Movie.[8] Mazri and Garfield creator Jim Davis have described GarfieldEats as "entergaging" (a portmanteau of "entertaining" and "engaging").[1][9]
After continuous struggles to pay their landlord and general unprofitability, GarfieldEats shut down in the winter of 2021.[10]
External links
References
- Sarah Hagi. I Ate Lasagna and Garfuccinos at the New Garfield-Themed Restaurant in Toronto Food & Wine, June 18, 2019, retrieved July 31, 2021^
- Josiah Hughes. GarfieldEATS Has Closed Exclaim!, November 12, 2020, retrieved July 31, 2021^
- Karen Doradea. Toronto's GarfieldEATS closes its storefront due to overdue rent