Less than six months after it opened, one of Toronto’s hottest new restaurants has closed temporarily, after two partners quit suddenly, citing difficulties with restaurateur Grant van Gameren.

“We ended our roles as chefs/operators of Quetzal because we think the terms of our agreement were never met. We felt overworked, underpaid, undervalued and disrespected,” wrote Julio Guajardo and his wife, Kate Chomyshyn, referring to van Gameren.

Van Gameren is a prominent restaurateur in the city, and has partnered with others in seven other restaurants and bars, including Bar Isabel, Bar Raval, Tennessee Tavern, El Rey Mezcal Bar, Rosalinda Restaurant, Harry’s Charbroiled and Pretty Ugly.

“My agreement was to deliver them a restaurant that celebrated their cuisine and make them partners. Both of which I delivered,” said van Gameren, in response to the statement from Guajardo and Chomyshyn.

“Other than that, I had little to no involvement on operating this project from the day it opened, other than providing support when asked for it.

“I provided them with a ton of solutions to create a more sustainable restaurant. Which included adjusting a labour-intensive menu to minimize hours. Much like any chef looking to make a name for themselves with their first restaurant, they chose not to.”

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Quetzal, a Mexican fine-dining restaurant at 419 College St., opened Aug. 8 and closed this week.

The stunning white space, 26-foot open wood grill and unique menu — billed as a celebration of Mexico’s culinary heritage combined with local Canadian produce, meats and seafood — captured media attention, including that of The New York Times.

The space was renovated at a cost of $1.5 million.

Guajardo is from Mexico and he and Chomyshyn travel widely throughout the country, collecting ideas for food. They were chefs at El Rey before opening Quetzal with van Gameren.

Van Gameren said he plans to re-open Quetzal soon, but it’s too early to say when.

“I will be taking over the direction of the restaurant and I’ll be in the kitchen,” he said.

Beyond their statement to the Star, Guajardo and Chomyshyn declined to comment.

Van Gameren rose to fame in Toronto’s passionate restaurant scene while partnered with Jen Agg at The Black Hoof, now closed. In her book I Hear She’s a Real Bitch, Agg, also a prominent restaurateur in the city, said she ended that partnership because she found van Gameren too difficult to work with.

“I found working with Grant to be the two most difficult years of my career,” Agg told the Star.

“The feeling is mutual,” said van Gameren, in response.

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Max Rimaldi, owner, Pizzeria Libretto, said he is partnered with van Gameren in four businesses and they remain partnered.

“I feel like partnerships are like marriages which can be difficult, sometimes they just don’t work out, despite everyone’s best efforts and best intentions.

“I think Julio, Kate & Grant are good, talented, hard-working people, so this situation is difficult for everyone involved, and wrapping up a business partnership is never easy or straightforward.”