Queens Harbour: Iconic Restaurant Brand Launch at Toronto’s Harbourfront
A landmark venue. A bold brand design. A Canadian destination for tourists and locals.
Queens Harbour is a sprawling 23,000-sq-ft restaurant and entertainment destination at 245 Queens Quay West, Toronto. Opened in July 2025, the MediterrAsian restaurant has immediately claimed top billing among Canada’s most discussed restaurant launches.
The Brief
Launch a brand that matches the scale of the venue and the ambition of the clients. Build a campaign ecosystem that spans brand identity, art direction, full marketing strategy, digital presence, and ad buying, all anchored to the context of Downtown Toronto’s revitalizing Harbourfront.
Key goals
Position Queens Harbour as a landmark destination, not just another restaurant.
Capture and amplify the architectural and experiential uniqueness: the historic brick building, Canada’s largest retractable rooftop patio, and the views of the sweeping waterfront, CN Tower, and Downtown Toronto.
Link multiple guest experiences (an open kitchen sushi bar, distinct private and semi-private dining rooms, and Queens Garden) into a seamless brand narrative.
Drive pre-opening awareness, opening momentum, and sustained traffic across various times of the day (lunch, dinner, cocktails, late night, and group events).
Our Approach
We structured the project across three core pillars:
1. Brand Design & Art Direction
Created a visual identity inspired by the raw character of the heritage brick building, the waterfront vantage point and the rooftop patio excitement.
Established a typographic, color and icon system evocative of an elevated entertainment destination: bold yet welcoming; modern yet grounded in place.
Built dynamic brand elements across print, signage, menu design, and digital assets, so every touchpoint felt connected to the venue’s scale and character.
2. Marketing Strategy & Ad Buying
Developed an integrated launch plan: pre-opening teasers on social media, grand opening media blitz, sustained awareness-retention phase.
Employed targeted digital media (social, programmatic display, geo-fencing around downtown Toronto & the GTA), paired with traditional OOH (harbourfront activations, transit links, rooftop signage).
Optimized for both brand reach (“tourist destination” positioning) and direct action (reservations, event bookings for private/semi-private rooms, rooftop patio bookings).
Introduced seasonal rhythm in media plan (spring/summer rooftop, fall/winter indoor lounge) to keep the brand relevant year-round.
3. Website Development & Digital Narrative
Built a bespoke website that brings the architecture and experience to life: hero visuals of the retractable rooftop patio, immersive photo/video of the lake view, clear zoning so visitors can choose open-kitchen sushi bar, semi-private rooms or Queens Garden.
Integrated booking flows and content hooks for special events (e.g., rooftop DJ nights, seasonal menu launches).
Ensured mobile-first UX (Toronto’s on-the-go audience) and curated SEO fundamentals to support local discovery (“Harbourfront restaurant Toronto”, “largest rooftop patio Toronto”, etc).
Technologies Used
Design system built in Adobe Creative Cloud (Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop, XD).
Website developed on WordPress CMS and Elementor with a custom theme and responsive framework.
Analytics & media-buy tracking via Google Analytics 4 + Tag Manager + Semrush reporting, combined with POSI revenue data and Opentable to create effective living dashboards that speak to day part and category revenues.
Geo-fencing & programmatic ad-delivery through major DSP partners.
Social media scheduling and influencer outreach.
Impact & Key Outcomes
Queens Harbour launched to strong local buzz and early reviews citing both its architectural scale and experiential design.
With 800 seats and Canada’s largest retractable rooftop patio, the venue positioned itself as one of the largest restaurants in Toronto (and Canada), which is a major differentiator.
The brand narrative (“see and be seen on the rooftop at Harbourfront”) helped drive reservations and event bookings across multiple segments: casual diners, private-event clients, rooftop lounge attendees, and tourists.
The unified identity and coherent media campaign gave the venue immediate relevance in a revitalising neighbourhood already known for culture, events, sports and lakeside views.
The website and digital booking infrastructure supported high demand and created a strong foundation for seasonal promotions and return visitation.
Why It Works
The storytelling aligns place (Harbourfront), architecture (heritage brick + rooftop) and experience (open kitchen sushi + multi-zone dining and cocktails).
Every brand element was scaled to match the physical ambition of the venue, which signified that the identity didn’t feel small.
The strategy, balanced “destination appeal” and “local convenience”, is important in a competitive dining market like Downtown Toronto’s.
The seamless integration of traditional and digital media amplified awareness and drove qualitative results (buzz) and quantitative results (bookings).
Looking Ahead
With the foundation laid, the brand is positioned to evolve: curated rooftop events, seasonal pivoting (summer open-air → winter heated-glass patio), enhanced CRM and loyalty flows, expanded digital content (behind-the-scenes, chef features, live music nights).
FAQ
Where is Queens Harbour located?
Queens Harbour sits at 245 Queens Quay West, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, in the Harbourfront district. It’s accessible via Union Station/King St, streetcar from downtown, and major highways (Gardiner Expressway).
What makes Queens Harbour unique among Toronto restaurants?
- 23,000 sq ft of space
- 800 seats – one of the largest restaurants in Toronto/Canada
- Canada’s largest retractable rooftop patio
- Housed in a beautifully re-imagined historic brick building
- Multiple bespoke dining zones (open kitchen sushi bar, three distinct rooms, two-level Queens Garden with operable roof).
What was the brand strategy behind Queens Harbour?
The brand strategy positioned Queens Harbour as a destination entertainment venue, not just a restaurant, leveraging its architecture, waterfront location, rooftop scale, and multi-experience zones. The brand design, art direction, ad buying and website were all aligned to convey that ambition.
Which marketing services did the agency provide?
The full suite: Marketing strategy, art direction, brand identity design, ad buying (digital + OOH), and website development, all customised for the client and delivered for the launch of the venue.
What digital and media technologies were used for the campaign?
- Design system via Adobe Creative Cloud
- Website via WordPress/Elementor CMS, responsive design
- Analytics via Google Analytics 4 and Tag Manager
- Programmatic ad-buy & geo-fencing via DSP partners
- Social media scheduling + influencer outreach
How did the campaign support SEO and local search?
We optimised the website and content for local search queries such as “Harbourfront restaurant Toronto”, “rooftop patio Toronto”, “large restaurant Toronto 800 seats”, “Queens Quay dining venue”. We also ensured structured data, mobile-first design and fast load times to support Google / AI-driven search.
Why is Queens Harbour important in terms of marketing?
Because it demonstrates how to create an iconic brand launch around a high-scale, multi-zone venue; how to align architecture, location, experience and brand identity; and how to deploy integrated media (digital + OOH) alongside deep website/UX execution. It’s a blueprint for destination-branding, not just restaurant branding.