Real estate mogul Shane Baghai enters burger business

Shane Baghai reveals plans to open new Paradise Farms Cafes across Toronto

The latest project from local developer Shane Baghai will be a chain of burger restaurants, the condo king recently announced. Named for his farm in Caledon, Paradise Farms Café will promote a local, natural and environmentally friendly menu, a rarity in Toronto’s burger business, according to Baghai.

“It is absolutely ridiculous to me that we have meat flown in from Australia or New Zealand or faraway places for consumption in a city where we do have valuable farmland,” Baghai said.

His motivation comes from his wife, who was told by doctors to avoid potentially harmful artificial hormones, commonly found in cattle. Baghai said five cattle on his farm turned into 500.

The first Paradise Farms Café will be located in the Bayview Village area, at one of Baghai’s established real estate projects, St. Gabriel Manor, near Sheppard Avenue and Bayview Avenue. He has plans to open at least two more in the GTA. Currently, Pusateri’s and Nortown Foods sell Paradise Farms products.

“Locally grown food should be retailed with a vengeance,” he said.

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