A restaurant in Roncesvalles that once proudly publicized itself as a Russian eatery has been compelled to alter its image drastically — but staff members refuse to let the ongoing war in Europe dictate what they serve.
Denis Ganshonkov has been leading the way at Stop since 2017. The establishment is an old-school restaurant in downtown Toronto that serves up a variety of homecooked meals inspired by Eastern European culture, like pelmeni and borsch.
Established in 2014 as the Ossington Stop, the old bar, formerly located on Dundas Street West, was first known for its elaborate drinks menu and pub-style food.
With roots in Russia and Kazakhstan, Ganshonkov completely transformed the menu to dishes and flavours of his upbringing when he joined the ownership group seven years ago. He took sole ownership of Stop during the pandemic.
In 2021, Ganshonkov moved the business down the street near Sheridan Avenue but was later forced to shutter the restaurant after a fire devastated operations in October 2023.
Ganshonkov, also the restaurant’s head chef, rebounded and moved to a new location at 397 Roncesvalles Ave. last May where he and his team have been working ever since.
The restaurant’s atmosphere gives off retro European vibes as antique cabinets and copper pots pop up around the space, while pictures of pets — some with cigarettes in their mouths — hang from the walls and contribute to the overall aesthetic of the restaurant.
Business at Stop is steady now, but the road to financial stability and social acceptance hasn’t come without hardship. While the fire at the previous location set his team back immensely, Ganshonkov told TorontoToday problems at Stop had already been smoldering for some time.
When Vladimir Putin’s army began invading Ukraine in February 2022, political tensions between Canada and Russia escalated. Many Ukrainians sought refuge in Toronto and across the country, while the Russian image deteriorated for many Canadians.
Ganshonkov, proudly operating one of the few well-known Russian restaurants downtown, faced scrutiny almost immediately. Promoting the Dundas eatery as a Russian establishment well into the spring and summer months of 2022 attracted some unfavourable attention in the media, he said. Holding a fundraiser to support Ukraine didn’t provide any resolution either.
This fork in the road led to a career-defining decision for the head chef.
“It was impacting business and drawing unnecessary attention,” Ganshonkov said. “Before, we easily had no problem with Ukrainians and Russians coming for dinner. Well, that stopped. There was no longer this unity, and it impacted business hugely.”
“We had people walk by on Dundas and say, ‘Oh, that’s the Russian restaurant — we can’t go there.’ As an owner of a small business, that’s the last thing you want to hear,” he added.
Wedged into an incredibly uncomfortable position, Ganshonkov — who had staff with ties to both countries involved in the conflict — terminated virtually all promotions of his homeland and rebranded the identity of Stop by August 2022.
“I don’t get paid more to promote a culture for no reason,” he said. “The decision was made to just be a very good restaurant, with a cuisine that doesn’t fall into particular boundaries while still maintaining a little of the respect of the culture that I’m from — and we all agreed on that.”
Other than being restricted from ordering shipments of Russian vodka, Ganshonkov’s menu hardly changed. His takes on Russian dishes like pelmeni and vinaigrette salad have remained among the top-selling offerings at the restaurant, while other popular items like borsch, potato pancakes and duck breast pay homage to other regions of Europe.
Despite making very few alterations to the actual day-to-day operations of Stop, Ganshonkov said their Russian-speaking customers, which at one time made up 50 per cent of the overall clientele, suddenly refrained from eating there.
“And it’s all because we stopped labelling and carrying the moniker of ‘Russian restaurant’ which is a shame — business just dipped,” he said. “They only liked the Russian sticker because nothing else changed. It just proved they were never going to be sustaining this business.”
Nearly three years later, it’s a demographic that has yet to bounce back despite the restaurant upholding its familiar dishes and traditions at a revamped location.
But it’s not keeping Ganshonkov awake at night as new customers continue to walk through the doors. The head chef noted a significant portion of his clientele are repeat diners, many of whom stop in for a meal at least once a month.
“We’re much better off,” he said. “The transition was very smooth since I brought a ready-made product with little tweaks. There will always be undertones of the heritage, there’s just no label anymore. It probably took us until we opened [in Roncesvalles] for people to accept that.”
Pleased with the welcoming nature from new faces in Roncesvalles over these last several months, Ganshonkov is also grateful for the old faces within his staff who have stuck by him despite the business’ challenges.
“I’m incredibly grateful they all stayed,” he said. “It serves as a testament to what they believe in. They believe in this business and they all like to work here — and it shows in the productivity levels and how much they put in.”
