Bowles Lunch Toronto – Queen St. at Bay St., 1915-1957

I've written previously about Ottawa's Bowles Lunch locations, but I've only just learned that a major Toronto location was right across the street from Old City Hall, where my own great-grandfather ran a  court stenography business for decades.

That street is of course Queen St. W., and my great-grandfather was one Adna G. Newall. I imagine he must've eaten at that Bowles location about a million times.

Bowles Lunch, 47 Queen St. W. (at Bay St.), Toronto. [Via Construction Magazine (Vol. 8, no. 3), Aug. 1915 ed.]

Bay Street looking North to (Old) City Hall, Toronto, ca. 1920. Arrow points to Bowles Lunch on SE corner of Queen St. W. [Via Library & Archives – colourized by Ashley Newall]

Bowles Lunch behind St. Charles Hotel, Bay St. (Old City Hall in background). [Via Construction Magazine (Vol. 8, no. 3), Aug. 1915 ed.]

The Bowles Lunch chain was started by American Henry Leland Bowles in 1897 in Springfield, Mass., and had outlets in the aforementioned Ottawa plus Toronto, as well as in Hamilton and London, Ontario. The first Toronto location opened (at 149 Yonge St.) in 1912.

There were at least three other Toronto locations – the one on Yonge, as well as on King St. and Bloor St. – but I'm going to focus on the one in the epicentre of the city, at 47 Queen St. W., on the south-east corner of Bay St., which opened in 1915.

Crowds at cenotaph, (Old) City Hall, Toronto, btwn 1925-29. Bowles Lunch (light grey building w/ billboards) on SE corner of Queen St. at Bay St. [Via Toronto Archives – colourized by Ashley Newall]

A photo essay focused on this centrally-located Bowles outlet follows below. But first, a few personal anecdotes about the location...

(I won't be delving much further into Bowles history here, although I've done that previously in my Ottawa article on the subject.)

Over and above writing about Ottawa history, I also regularly research and report on one Aemilius Jarvis, a 'Canadian J.P. Morgan' of his day (if you will), who lived in my original hometown of Aurora, Ontario. Jarvis' office tower (called the "Jarvis Building") was just down Bay St. from Bowles, near King St., and so Aemilius indoobitably also patronized the 24/7/365 diner every now and again. (Aemilius and my great-grandfather may or may not have had dealings, but they would've crossed paths, whether at City Hall, at various clubs or eateries (such as Bowles), or on Toronto Island, where they both had cottages.)

Bay St. looking north from King St. to (Old) City Hall, ca. 1914. Aemilius Jarvis' “Jarvis Building” is grey building near-right.

My great-grandfather Adna G. Newall ran his court stenography business out of Old City Hall, and – as per familly lore – had a monopoly on such for York County, which was granted to him apparently by none other than Prime Minister R.B. Bennett.

A.G. Newall & Co. Toronto directory listing, ca. 1920s.

When an attempt was made to dislodge Adna from his City Hall office, not only did he refuse to leave, but he asserted that he should in fact be provided his office space for free, and subsequently stopped paying rent altogether.

Globe & Mail – Jan. 10, 1946

Adna G. Newall (r.), ca. 1920. (Likely at Royal Canadian Yacht Club on Toronto Island.)

As it happens, my great-grandmother (on my mother's side), Lily Mills, worked nearby as well – she was head (clothing) designer at Simpson's, only a few doors east of Bowles. As she was exceedingly prim and proper ("severely" so, I'm told), and with Bowles being especially male-oriented and bawdy, I'm quite certain she never would've set foot in the joint.

Lily Mills.

And now, without further ado...

Below: Photo essay on Bowles Lunch in Toronto (Queen at Bay ed.)!

Bowles Lunch, SE corner Queen St. W. & Bay St. (Toronto), 1916.

Corner of Bay and Queen Streets, 1916. Bowles Lunch (light building on right) in background; Pillar mail box in foreground.

Bowles Lunch, main floor, 47 Queen St. W. (at Bay St.), Toronto. [Via Construction Magazine (Vol. 8, no. 3), Aug. 1915 ed.]

Bowles Lunch, main floor, 47 Queen St. W. (at Bay St.), Toronto. [Via Construction Magazine (Vol. 8, no. 3), Aug. 1915 ed.]

Bowles Lunch, Queen St. at Bay St., Toronto - second floor billiards room. [Via Construction Magazine (Vol. 8, no. 3), Aug. 1915 ed.]

Bowles Lunch. South-east corner of Queen and Bay Streets, looking east, 1918.

Armistice Day, Queen St. at Bay St. (formerly Terauley St.); viewing easterly to Bowles Lunch on SE corner, Nov. 11, 1918.

Armistice Day, Queen St. at Bay St. (formerly Terauley St.); viewing easterly to Bowles Lunch on SE corner, Nov. 11, 1918.

Bowles Lunch (left), Queen St. at Bay St. (viewing southerly), btwn 1920-26. [Via Toronto Archives]

Queen and Bay streets, viewing west on Queen Street, 1923. (Bowles on SE corner.) [Via Toronto Archives]

Bay Street Traffic looking north from Temperance St. to Queen St., 1924.

Crowds at cenotaph, (old) City Hall, ca. 1925-29. Bowles Lunch on right (SE corner of Queen St. at Bay St.). [Via Toronto Archives – colourized by Ashley Newall]

Crowds at cenotaph, (old) City Hall, from the roof of Bowles Lunch, ca. 1925-29.

"Bay and Queen streets, site of new Simpson store," 1928.  [Via Toronto Archives – colourized by Ashley Newall] 

Massachusetts Artillerymen, City Hall, 1928.

Bay Street, looking south across Queen Street from (old) City Hall, 1928. [Via Toronto Archives – colourized by Ashley Newall]

Shriners, American section, Bay St. at Queen St., 1929.

Bay Street south from Queen Street, 1930.

Orange celebrations - old City Hall - Mayor William James Stewart (a member of the Orange Order in Canada), 1931.

Queen and Bay streets, looking south-ward, 1932.

Bowles Lunch, Queen St. at Bay St., 1936-37. Billboard: Royal Alexandra Theatre, "The Good Earth".

Bay Street looking south at Queen Street, Toronto, 1938. Bowles Lunch on left.

Old City Hall, Bay and Queen streets — decorations for visit of King George VI, 1939.

Queen Street West decorated for the 1939 Royal visit. Bowles Lunch on right (at Bay St.).

Crowds at the intersection of Queen and Bay streets, awaiting the Royal procession. View looking north-west as seen from the roof of Bowles Lunch, 1939.

King George VI and Elizabeth, Queen consort in Royal procession on Queen Street West. View from the roof of Bowles Lunch, 1939.

Old City Hall, Royal visit of King George VI, 1939. View probably from roof of Bowles Lunch.

King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, Old City Hall, 1939.

Bay Street, viewing north to Queen Street, (Old) City Hall, 1941.

Queen St. at Bay St., viewing east, 1941. (Old) City Hall far left, Bowles Lunch far right.

Viewing south down Bay St. at Queen St. W., Toronto, 1941. Bowles Lunch on left.

V-E Day celebrations on Bay St., looking north to Queen Street, May 8, 1945.

RCMP parade, btwn 1948-55.

For a bonus round, below are a few colourized interior photos from the two Ottawa locations (which were similar in design, if not virtually identical, to the Toronto outlets).

(Bowles' décor style was described by one curmudgeon around the time as “Early Men's Bathroom”.)

Bowles Lunch, Sparks St., Ottawa, 1917. [Via Library & Archives – colourized by Ashley Newall]

Bowles Lunch Cigar Counter, Sparks St., Ottawa, 1917. [Via Library & Archives – colourized by Ashley Newall]

Bowles Lunch, Rideau St., Ottawa, 1921. [Via Library & Archives – colourized by Ashley Newall]

Bowles Lunch, Rideau St., Ottawa, 1921. [Via Library & Archives – colourized by Ashley Newall]

Bowles was known for their one-armed (aka 'side-arm') chairs. 

Bowles Lunch, Rideau St., Ottawa, 1921. [Via Library & Archives – colourized by Ashley Newall]

In 1957, Bowles' Toronto and Ottawa outlets (including our Queen at Bay St. location) were renamed to become “Scott's Restaurants”. Then, in 1960, Scott’s bought the rights to sell Kentucky Fried Chicken in Canada, consequently launching the iconic (and formerly ubiquitous) “Scott’s Chicken Villas”.

Scott's Restaurant (former Bowles Lunch), Queen St. W. at Bay St., Toronto (viewing south-westerly), 1957.

Ottawa Journal - Oct. 25, 1969

Scott's Chicken Villa, Queen Street W.; south side, looking southeast from Bay St., 1964.

You can read my previous/original article on Bowles Lunch history here: Capital History: Bowles Lunch, 1917 to 1957

And you can check out my accoutrement mini photo essay on Bowles Lunch in Ottawa here: Capital History Ottawa (#colourized): Bowles Lunch

This article is dedicated to the memory of Paul Newall.