We recently visited Topper Linen, a Toronto-based independent food and beverage/mixed operator that suffered a devastating four-alarm fire in February 2017.

The fire—which likely started due to an electrical malfunction—destroyed a 13,000-square-foot wooden industrial building dating back to the mid-1800s. The two-story building included Topper’s mat and facility services department, while the basement level housed a parts department, plus employee lockers and washrooms. Three years later, Topper is not only surviving, it’s operated continuously without conceding an inch of ground in this bustling, highly competitive Canadian metropolis. “We have not lost one customer,” said President Tim Topornicki. “Not one.” Topornicki ...