Dundas West has officially said goodbye to one of the strip’s most popular sports bars. The Contender, which was located at 1166 Dundas Street West, has shuttered operations.
A former employee confirmed that The Contender closed its doors earlier this month and that new owners intend to do something different with the space. The bar’s windows were recently papered up, leading to speculation that it was permanently closed.
The Contender was one of several “hipster sports bars” to open along Dundas over the past few years, along with The Dock Ellis, The Derby, and Opera Bob’s. The space featured dozens of televisions, an impressive list of craft beers, and a stadium food-inspired menu. It was one of Toronto’s few bars that regularly showed WWE pay-per-view events.
RIP, The Contender. We’ll miss your Big League Sandwiches.