LOCAL CUSTOMS · TORONTO
How happy hour works in Toronto
Ontario rules: a real happy hour, a posted price, the same price for everyone, and a floor so low it almost never matters.
The rule
The AGCO lets a licensee vary a drink’s price by the hour if it stays above the minimum and the change is posted. The minimum, tax in, is $2 for a standard beer or wine and $1.34 for a standard spirit over 14.8% alcohol. Ladies’ nights and student drink prices are not allowed: one price for every patron. Contests that make you buy a drink are not allowed.
The custom
King West and the Financial District do the sharp after-work hour. Ossington, Dundas West, and the Junction do the neighborhood one, later and more food-led. Patios are the entire personality of the city from May to October and a rumor otherwise. Prices are before 13% HST and before tip. A 1-for-1 is less the local language than in Singapore; a cheaper glass and a snack is the usual board.