Archive

High school science teacher turned bar owner...No, it’s not the plot of a new HBO series – it’s the real-life tale of Archive Wine Bar co-owner, Josh Corea.

Born and bred in Toronto, Josh started bartending at TERRONI while completing teacher’s college. Five years into his teaching career, he returned to the hospitality industry. “The Toronto District School Board’s enrolment was shrinking,” he explains, “and I wasn’t interested in doing the reverse commute to the Durham suburbs.”

A soul searching trip to Seville, Spain, uncorked the idea to open his own wine and tapas bar. “It’s pretty common in Europe to enjoy a small plate of food and a nice glass of wine,” says Josh. “But at the time, Toronto didn’t have anything like it.”

He decided to team up with his younger brother, Joel, to convert a vintage clothing store on Dundas West into a “cozy space to sip wine and have a bite.” Finally, on November 12th, 2012, Josh and Joel Corea opened the doors to Archive Wine Bar.