After more than a year of setbacks and uncertainty, Disco Ice Cream & Cookies has officially reopened, bringing back its cult-favourite sweets, playful flavours and nostalgic charm — this time on Ossington, one of Toronto’s busiest strips.
The well-loved dessert spot, run by partners Ozzy and Gigi, first opened in March 2023 at a busy Queen West corner. What started as a spontaneous idea after a night out between two culinary school classmates quickly turned into a neighbourhood favourite. Despite its early success, the original location closed a few years later after a series of setbacks, including a building sale that led to a steep rent increase and a health issue that forced Gigi to return to Turkey for treatment.
Rather than rushing into a new lease, the partners put a pause on their business.
“We just wanted to focus on our health and figure things out,” Ozzy says. “Then we kept looking, looking, looking.”
After months of searching, they landed on a longtime family-owned building on Ossington, right in the middle of one of the city’s fastest-moving food strips. After a quiet reopening earlier this month, the response was almost immediate.
“We were emotional,” Ozzy says. “We thought maybe people forgot about us. But so many familiar faces came back.”
While the original shop thrived on a high-traffic nightlife corner, this new location reflects a slower rhythm and a shift in priorities. The second act is more relaxed, with hours set Thursday to Sunday from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m.
“It was busy before, which was great,” Ozzy says. “But it was also a lot. This is more what we want. Something a bit slower, more personal.”
That mindset doesn’t carry over to the menu. While it reflects something personal to the duo, they’re constantly testing new flavours for their regulars. At its core, Disco stays focused on two things: ice cream and cookies — simple and universal, which is exactly where the name comes from.
“Disco is something nostalgic that brings people together, makes people happy,” Ozzy explains. “So do cookies and ice cream. It’s that same energy.”
The reopening menu blends returning favourites with new creations, including one early standout: cookie fries. Shaped like French fries and made from chocolate chip cookie dough, they’re served with Nutella on the side instead of ketchup. Built for easy snacking, they sit somewhere between novelty and comfort.
Beyond that, both the cookies and ice cream rotate regularly, with new flavours introduced weekly. With two culinary-trained minds behind it, expect constant experimentation, often led by seasonal ingredients and whatever’s inspiring them at the moment.
The team behind the shop started long before Toronto. Ozzy and Gigi met while studying culinary arts abroad in Turkey, where Ozzy trained in ice cream making and Gigi focused on pastry. After working in restaurants across Turkey and France, Ozzy moved to Canada nearly a decade ago and says the appeal was immediate.
“People are nice, it’s diverse, it just felt like home,” he says. Even the winters didn’t put him off. “Oh, winters are amazing. We both love cold weather because we lived in very hot cities in Turkey, so we’re kind of fed up with it. So no complaints.”
The biggest shift this time is stability. Unlike previous leases, this space comes with a sense of permanence, thanks to a family that has owned the corner for generations. For the team— and their regulars — it means Disco is finally here to stay.
“This is it,” he says. “We’re here to stay.”
