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Reviews, get directions and information for Hoito

Hoito

Story

The Hoito Restaurant is a Finnish-Canadian restaurant in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada established in 1918 and housed in the bottom floor of the historic Finnish Labour Temple. The Hoito has operated continuously on 314 Bay Street, in the historic Bay & Algoma neighbourhood, for 98 years and is perhaps the oldest co-operatively owned and operated restaurant in Canada.BeginningsThe name "Hoito" is Finnish for the word "care". The idea for the restaurant came about in a logging camp outside Nipigon, Ontario. IWW union organizer A.T. Hill had come to organize the camp into the union and promote the new Finnish-Canadian socialist newspaper Vapaus (Freedom). After winning some improvements in the camp, the workers expressed a concern that while being able to find cheap accommodation in the city of Port Arthur (now Thunder Bay), they were unable to find reasonably priced, home-cooked meals. The request to open a co-operative restaurant was taken to the board of directors of the Finnish Labour Temple and approved. 59 people pooled their money together in the form of 5-dollar “comrade loans”. Union organizer A.T. Hill was chosen as the restaurant’s first manager.For several decades, workers in the restaurant belonged to the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) union and later to the Canadan Teollisuusunionistinen Kannatusliitto (CTKL or Support League of Canadian Industrial Unionists), the Finnish section of the union, and not, as is often mistaken, to the Communist Party of Canada. The IWW was active in the bushcamps in Northwestern Ontario primarily among Finnish-Canadian bushworkers, and effectively operated as a radical alternative to their rivals in the communist-led unions. The Finnish Labour Temple itself was the Canadian administration for the IWW for a number of years.

Address: 314 Bay St, Thunder Bay, ON P7B 1A1, Canada
Phone: (807) 345-6323
State: Ontario
County: Thunder Bay District
City: Thunder Bay
Zip Code: P7B 1A1


Opening Hours

Monday: 8:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Tuesday: 8:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Wednesday: 8:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Thursday: 8:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Friday: 8:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Saturday: 8:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Sunday: 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM


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Reviews
I was born and raised in Thunder Bay and have eaten here all my life. I now live in southern Ontario and look forward to coming here every time I visit. I just finished my meal and I have never been this disappointed with the food. I ordered the pancakes, scrambled eggs and ham. The prices have been raised, which is unfortunate since the minimum wage has gone up. The pancakes are about 20% smaller and flavorless. And the ham steaks were served hard and cold . The service was slow but that's pretty usual here. When we waited for our Food, I couldn't help but watch the serving staff and they weren't in the most polite of moods to other customers. I feel really bad leaving such a bad review because usually this place never lets me down. I'd give it another few go's maybe only because I know how great it's been to me growing up but I also wouldn't mind sharing my business with other breakfast spots too. Best of luck with your meals!
7 years ago (18-02-2018)
Pleasant, low key, homey. Simple good food, Finnish American fusion. For example, their Denver Finnish pancake wrap.
7 years ago (08-03-2018)
Sorry, but it’s overrated. The wait is not worth it and Finn pancakes are just as good in most local restaurants. Nothing wrong with the Hoito, but it’s certainly nothing over the moon
8 years ago (09-12-2017)
It's like coming home! Updated and improved menu but still the amazing food the Hoito is known for. Always treated like family, miss it so much when we go back home.
7 years ago (22-01-2018)
This restaurant is lovely, as always. Our waitress was fantastic and very kind.
7 years ago (23-02-2018)
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