After 70 years, iconic men’s clothier Korry’s on the Danforth is preparing to close its doors.
“It’s been a great ride but its time to say farewell,” says Shawn Korman, the president of Korry’s Clothiers, who adds that after his father died last year, he started casually looking at retirement. But the realities of on-and-off closures during the pandemic forced him to expedite those plans.
“You’re buying product seasons ahead, so you can’t really buy things when you don’t know if you’re going to be open or closed,” Korman said. “I think that’s what my dad wanted, we had discussions before he passed away what we were going to do and that’s what we’re doing.”
Korman says even though the store is closing, his father’s legacy will live on.
Saul Korman, who became known as the Duke of the Danforth, founded the business seven decades ago after arriving from a small town in Quebec. He became a fixture in Toronto’s iconic Greektown, cementing his reputation with his easy-going radio commercials which touted the store’s address — 569 Danforth Avenue. As one of the founders of the Danforth BIA, he helped launch Taste of the Danforth, a popular food festival that brings thousands to the Greektown neighborhood each summer.
Prior to the arrival of COVID, the store employed upwards of 50 people. Today, there are just four employees remaining including office manager Nena Kovacvic.
“He was my mentor…he was my second father here,” she said, recalling how she started working at the store part-time in 2006. She credits Korman and his family for making Korry’s a wonderful place to work.
“I respected everybody, it doesn’t matter if you were a teacher, worked on the construction site or a CEO, I respected you equally.”
Shawn Korman says plans are to close the store permanently around Father’s Day.