Chinatown Arc Begins: New Location for the One-Shot Manga Cafe

October 10, 2025

The One-Shot Manga Cafe has a new home in Toronto! We’ve set up shop inside 222 Spadina Market at Chinatown Centre, creating an IRL destination for anime and manga fans in Toronto.

Our cafe days may be behind us, but we’ve turned the page into something new: a proudly Canadian-owned manga bookstore. Not every small business gets a second wind, but thanks to our amazing customers, here we are.

I shared the end of our cafe journey in 2024 in my previous post. That saga is now over, and a new one begins: the Chinatown Arc. Visit us in person or shop online as we make the transition into a true click-and-mortar store.

FLY-DAY CHINATOWN (CENTRE)

Why Chinatown Centre specifically? What it lacks in modern polish, it makes up for in old-school Asian character and charm. It’s also becoming a nerdy hangout and fashion hub, full of hobby stores, indie fashion outlets, and tiny art galleries, all nestled alongside DVD sellers and neighborhood watering holes.

I’d feature these businesses here but the mall is strict about sharing them publicly. You’ll just have to take my word for it....or just check out this Instagram reel (filmed before we officially set up shop):

We’re located at the back of 222 Spadina Market, sharing the space with many other vendors who also have their products on display. It’s a great synergy for all of us Toronto small businesses.

222 Spadina Market is open from 12pm to 6pm on weekends, with limited weekday hours. And yes, you can still shop online and pick up your orders in-store. Keep in mind that we are a cashless business. Debit and all major credit cards accepted.

It's a small mall, so we are fairly easy to find:

Spadina street entrance to the mall

Walk toward the escalators

Go up the escalators

The first store you see on the 2nd floor

Well, hello there.

The shelves are currently stocked with a small but growing inventory of manga, manhua, manhwa, light novels, art books, and guidebooks. We’re leaning into box sets, omnibuses, and special editions for the collectors, while also keeping plenty of single volumes for casual readers who just want to dip into a new series. Every genre and demographic has a place here, from shōnen, shōjo, seinen, and josei to boy’s love (yaoi) and girls’ love (yuri).

There will also be a pre-owned section, giving readers the option to sell their old volumes and discover hidden gems. Whether you’re a seasoned manga collector or just starting your shelf after binging the latest anime on Netflix, the store will have something for everyone.

A CAFE IN SPIRIT

For a number of reasons I won’t bore you with here, we will never be a full-fledged cafe again. But, we are working on getting the store licensed to sell retail food. Once that happens, selection of Asian and other exotic snacks, from fan favorites like Pocky and Hi-Chew to a rotating lineup of coffee and teas. Think of it as fuel for your next reading binge.

We also have some exciting partnerships in the pipeline to bring in even more treats you can’t find just anywhere. It’s our way of keeping the manga cafe spirit alive for anime and manga fans in Toronto, even if we’re a bookstore first. And trust me, there will be plenty of surprises waiting in-store (literally).

REBORN AS A MANGA BOOKSTORE, WE NOW STOCK SHELVES WHILE KEEPING OUR LIVES AFLOAT

I’ve been meaning to get this blog post out since we set up shop in Chinatown in July, but life happens. In spite of us being much less active on social media and juggling a thousand different tasks, our customers still find us and continue to support our store.

We’re proud to have customers not just in Canada but around the world. To our friends in the United States, we love you and can only hope the tariffs ease up so you can shop with us again soon. Every order, near or far, helps keep our story going.

Once again, none of this could have happened without the support of our amazing customers. To all the weebs and otakus who have ever bought even a single manga volume from us, thank you.

So drop by the One-Shot Manga Cafe and support a small but scrappy Canadian manga bookstore! Explore our shelves in Toronto’s Chinatown Centre or browse our growing selection of manga, manhua, manhwa, light novels, art books, and guidebooks online from the comfort of your home (We're expanding our catalog all the time):

BOX SETS - Great deals all year around!

Death Note (All-in-One Edition)

CAD 54.99

CAD 76.99

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