🤝 Meet Jen Agg. It’s hard to think of many restaurateurs who have had more of an impact on Toronto’s dining scene than her. Agg has scored hit after hit, with a knack for knowing what diners want before they do, from the revolutionary Black Hoof to her latest venture, General Public — recognized by Toronto Life as the town’s best new restaurant last year, and described by Agg as “part Narnia, part fancy British pub and part ’80s cocaine dream.” We asked her about the challenges facing restaurants, what makes a good restaurant, how she comes up with winning concepts, and more.
You’ve talked on your IG about how challenging it is to be in the restaurant business right now. What are the biggest challenges that you think most people aren’t aware of?
Cost of operating is way up (are your groceries more expensive, well, so are ours) but that's just the tip of the iceberg, staffing, rent and upkeep is vastly more costly. And because our economy is currently so wobbly, revenue is down. Not a great combo, lots of restaurants will close in 2026.
What is the most important element of making a good restaurant? If it’s food, then what is the second most important element?
Food isn't the most important. The food has to be good, but the service CANNOT be bad. The way you make people feel is what keeps them coming back. And if you can do it all in a nicely lit, beautiful room with the right music please, that would be preferred. (Right for the vibe, not necessarily right for me, although I would love it if it were!)
How do you come up with your concepts for new restaurants — is it mostly trusting your gut about what you think will work, looking at what’s working in other cities, something else?I
Mostly gut. A lot about where I personally am in my life. You can draw a really strong throughline from the Hoof to General Public, you can tell I have more money to spend on building now.
You read a lot about “wellness” as a trend, with people drinking less and going to bed early so they can do early morning workout classes and the like. Do you think people are having less fun these days?
Yes, I do! I also eat well and exercise as religion, but I still like to have the wine kind of fun, and occasionally the martini kind. I suspect there will be a bit of pushback against all this wellness, as there always is with trends. And with the world as it is, maybe a drink isn't such a radically bad idea!
What’s a restaurant trend you’d wish would go away?
The erasure of what makes restaurants restaurants! I don't need a fucking experience I just need a really great time with excellent food and a fun server! Is that so much to ask?
And what delights you in a dining out experience these days that you’d like to see more of?
I am delighted when my fairly low expectations of restaurants are met, and I'm blown away when they are soared over! It's rare, but I am always hopeful, and just like Fox Mulder, I WANT to believe!