The Ballroom Bowl location at Yonge and Dundas in Toronto appears to have closed permanently after its landlord terminated the lease over non-payment of rent.
A Notice of Termination posted on the venue’s front door, shared in a post on Reddit’s Toronto page, states the closure follows “non-payment of rent” and that “the premises have been re-entered, the locks changed, and possession taken” by the landlord. The notice, dated Oct. 17, was issued by a bailiff company and gave occupants five business days to “remove your goods and chattels,” warning that remaining items would otherwise be placed in storage or “disposed of in any manner” the landlord sees fit, at the tenant’s expense. The letter stated the lease “has been terminated effective immediately.”
A Google search of the business now lists it as “permanently closed.” The venue, which combined food, drinks and boutique bowling lanes in a nightlife setting, had opened in February 2025.
Reaction From Toronto Residents
The closure drew numerous comments on Reddit, with one user calling the location “horribly managed” and placing responsibility for the shutdown on the business itself. Another commenter said they rarely saw anyone bowling there despite passing the location often.
Opinions on the venue were mixed, with some describing the space as cramped and the food as mediocre, while others said the pricing was reasonable compared to other party venues in the city. One commenter said venues like this “can’t be too cheap or else the business won’t work,” citing the cost of bowling equipment.
Rent and Multiple Locations Questioned
Several commenters questioned whether Ballroom Bowl’s two other Toronto locations, in the Entertainment District on John Street and in Yorkville on Bloor Street, had affected the Yonge-Dundas location’s ability to cover its costs. One Reddit user claiming to have “inside information” said rent at the location was “something like $60k a month,” prompting other commenters to question how a business could remain viable at that rate.
The Yonge-Dundas location offered duckpin bowling lanes rather than the 10-pin option available at the John Street location, which one commenter described as more popular among customers.
Ballroom Bowl did not provide comment in time for publication. Its locations at 145 John St. and 1 Bloor St. E. remain open.
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