Celebrity Club Sassafraz Reopens After Devastating Fire
Posted November 15, 2007 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
It was one of the hottest celebrity hangouts in the city of Toronto – until it literally turned into the hottest of all. You may not remember December 13th, 2006, but it’s a day those who worked, dined and lived near the club named Sassafraz will never forget.
It was in the afternoon that a cooking accident sparked a fire that quickly spread out of control, gutting the popular yellow-hued Cumberland St. hangout and leaving very little behind except bitter ashes. The flames burned so hot and so long, the roof of the building collapsed onto the freshly set tables awaiting a lunch crowd that never showed up.
Damage at the club, where icons like Robert DeNiro and Mick Jagger were known to hang out, reached an estimated $2.5 million. And there were questions about whether it could ever return to its former glory.
Now 11 months later those queries have been answered, with the grand re-opening of the downtown location on Thursday night. For owner Vasko Kocovski, it’s a moment that’s been a long time coming. “We’ve had tremendous support from the community. It was really heartwarming and it was really helpful for us to be able to motivate ourselves to come back.”
His brother Zoran recalled the fateful day when the fire broke out.
“It’s a real surreal feeling, almost like a dream. I wouldn’t want to go through that again,” he said.
The new Sassafraz is even swankier than the original version, costing up to $5million to renovate. And Vasko vows that the sometimes questionable food has improved too.
“There was times when some people weren’t so pleased with the food,” he admits. “But we’ve spent a lot of time and energy in terms of rebuilding our kitchen and also rebuilding our menu.”
