Kandasamy Sivakantharoopan found himself in a difficult position last year.
When Metroland Media Group filed for bankruptcy in September 2023, he said he soon lost his job delivering newspapers after 30 years with the company.
Faced with the need to make a career change, the Etobicoke resident decided to make a significant shift: opening a pizza restaurant.
“I was very mad … Right now, I make money a different way,” he said of losing his prior job. “Editorial, distribution, everybody (at the company) was like family … I miss it.”
Alongside his family, Sivakantharoopan has opened Rubino's Pizzeria & Bistro on Main Street Newmarket, offering a traditional Italian-style pizza with made dough in-house.
Sivakantharoopan said during his time in Metroland, he found Newmarket to be a good area and decided it would be a good place to open a business. He said he found a love for Italian pizza and thought there was an opportunity for that in Newmarket.
His former job made him familiar with Vaughan, which has "a lot of Italian foods,” he said. “I like it for Italian food and then I think about this area and (there) not being many Italian foods."
The restaurant is named Rubino's for Sivakantharoopan's nickname, he said.
The business is a family affair, with his son and daughter helping. His daughter, Sampabi Sivakantharoopan, said it keeps the family connected.
“For us, we always do things together,” she said. “I feel like it is a way of connecting with each other … Most of my life, it’s mostly been us, our family, so I feel like this is important to us.”
She said they aim to do a more traditional Italian-style pizza that should appeal to people.
Having not been much in Newmarket herself yet compared to her father, she said she likes the community.
“I thought it would be a big change compared to Etobicoke. It’s the same thing. Like the environment and the people are pretty nice,” she said, adding the buildings are closer together in Newmarket’s downtown. “Very close-knit, like everyone kind of knows each other, so I think that’s a change for me.”
The younger Sivakantharoopan said the family hopes to be able to grow the business over time, as they feel it has a strong chance to take off.
“I feel like our style of restaurant is a bit different compared to everyone else on the street," she said. “I feel like this might be a chance for them to try the traditional Italian food.”
Rubino's Pizzeria & Bistro is at 245 Main St. S., 905-830-5050.
