News Release
September 17, 2021

Today, DineTOgether, part of the City of Toronto’s ShowLoveTO initiative, kicks off to support local restaurants and celebrate Toronto’s diverse culinary scene.

 DineTOgether will run for two weeks starting today Friday, September 17 to Sunday, October 3 and will showcase the breadth and diversity of Toronto’s restaurants. Over the next two weeks residents are encouraged to patronize local eateries by ordering a feature menu available through takeout, delivery, patio dining and/or indoor dining as part of DineTOgether.

Participating restaurants are offering one or more two-course feature menus for lunch and/or dinner consisting of a main dish and either an appetizer or dessert. Prices range from $15 to $50 per person and exclude beverages, taxes and gratuity. The price of DineTOgether’s feature menus is not intended to be value-driven or discounted. If patrons are unable to make a patio or indoor dining reservation, they are encouraged to cancel their reservation to allow others the opportunity to dine.

In an effort to make the program as accessible as possible, DineTOgether had minimal eligibility criteria and no participation fee. As a result more than 270 restaurant locations from across the city are participating in DineTOgether, more than any previous City restaurant promotion.

Restaurant listings and menus are now available online.

On Saturday, September 18, all of Toronto is invited to Dine With Your Neighbours in a safe, socially-distanced space to celebrate community. Residents are encouraged to set up a table on their porch, driveway or balcony and prepare a meal, order in or dine out at a DineTOgether participating restaurant and raise a glass to community.

DineTOgether and Dine With Your Neighbours are produced by the City of Toronto in association with Founding Sponsor American Express and with funding from the Government of Ontario.

ShowLoveTO has been designed with guidance from Toronto Public Health to provide a safer environment for participants. ShowLoveTO, in association with Founding Sponsor American Express and in partnership with Destination Toronto, was launched September 14 to inspire local tourism, foster community engagement, support local businesses and encourage economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

In addition to DineTOgether, ShowLoveTO City-led initiatives this fall include ActiveArtsTO, BigArtTO, CaféTO, HistoricTO, StrollTO and more. Each initiative will be delivered with guidance from Toronto Public Health to provide a safer environment for participants.

 More information about ShowLoveTO is available here.

ShowLoveTO is produced by the City of Toronto in association with Founding Sponsor American Express and in partnership with Destination Toronto. ShowLoveTO programs are funded by the Government of Ontario and sponsored by The Carpenters Union Local 27, Toronto Regional Real Estate Board, Oxford Properties, Downtown AutoGroup and Equinix. ShowLoveTO programs would not be possible without the support of OCAD University, AVA Animation & Visual Arts Inc. and media partners Bell Media and Rogers Sports and Media.

Quotes:

“Toronto restaurants and cafés are ready to welcome us back. It’s time to reconnect with family and friends over a great meal and experience the joy of dining out with ShowLoveTO’s CaféTO and DineTOgether programs. Support the restaurants you love and try a new one soon.”

– Mayor John Tory

“Surviving the COVID-19 pandemic has been an enormous challenge for Toronto’s food and hospitality industry. The City’s DineTOgether program is designed to help by encouraging residents to support their favorite restaurants by taking advantage of opportunities to dine inside or on the patio, or ordering meals for takeout or delivery.”
– Deputy Mayor Michael Thompson (Scarborough Centre), Chair of the Economic and Community Development Committee

 “Toronto’s vibrancy stems from its diversity, which is well reflected in its exciting culinary scene. Our government is proud to support the City of Toronto’s efforts to help restaurateurs welcome back diners and encourage Torontonians to reconnect with their favourite neighbourhoods and businesses.”

– The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario

“Small businesses shape our neighbourhoods, and restaurants in particular help define the flavour of our local communities. I can’t think of a better way for all of us to come together than to dine small in support of some of our local faves through the City’s DineTOgether initiative.”

– Kerri-Ann Santaguida, Vice President and General Manager of Merchant Services, American Express Canada

Toronto is home to more than 2.9 million people whose diversity and experiences make this great city Canada’s leading economic engine and one of the world’s most diverse and livable cities. As the fourth largest city in North America, Toronto is a global leader in technology, finance, film, music, culture and innovation, and consistently places at the top of international rankings due to investments championed by its government, residents and businesses. For more information visit the City’s website or follow us on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.

Media Relations