# Comic Book-Themed Restaurants Toronto's 'Figures' Serves Up Comic Book-Inspired Fare By Katherine Pendrill | Published 2017-04-10 | Lifestyle Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/figures References: [torontolife](http://torontolife.com/food/restaurants/whats-menu-figures-comic-book-themed-restaurant-bar-yorkville/) & [viewthevibe](http://viewthevibe.com/first-look-figures/) Toronto recently became home to a new comic book-inspired restaurant called 'Figures.' While themed restaurants can sometimes come off as kitschy or unrefined, this [hip Yorkville spot](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/enigma-yorkville) is anything but. Characterized by dark decor and gourmet plates, Figures add a high-end twist to the world of [themed dining](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/playstation-canada-x-opentable). The restaurant is "a [speakeasy resto-lounge concept](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-frederick)" created by restaurateurs Nader Marzouk and Patrick Marzouk as a way to combine their love of comics and hospitality. The interior of the restaurant is filled with decoupage-style comics, graffiti and nostalgia-inducing collectibles, while the menu features subtle nods to the world of superheros and villains. For instance, there is a cocktail that boasts an almond orgeat stencil of a Stormtrooper and a Mexican Chocolate dessert that is filled with a trio of robot truffles. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 4.4/10 - Popularity: 63% | Activity: 61% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Lifestyle](https://www.trendhunter.com/lifestyle) > [Food](https://www.trendhunter.com/food) ## Key Themes ### Why This Trend Is Growing - **Themed Restaurants:** There is potential for other themed restaurants that cater to niche interests to become upscale and sophisticated, offering a unique and immersive dining experience with gourmet food. - **Integration of Pop Culture:** Integrating pop culture themes into dining offers a way to appeal to a younger demographic, and is an opportunity for restaurants to differentiate themselves through their unique and creative branding strategies. - **Upscale Nostalgia:** Upscale nostalgia-themed restaurants offer a unique dining experience that appeals to both millennials and older generations, and can use nostalgic branding to create emotional connections with customers. ### Industries Being Reshaped - **Restaurant Industry:** Restaurants should consider themed dining concepts as a way to differentiate themselves from competitors, attract younger demographics, and create emotional connections with customers. - **Pop Culture Merchandise:** Pop culture merchandise companies can partner with themed restaurants to create unique and exclusive merchandise that customers can purchase as memorabilia and as a way to extend the restaurant experience beyond the dining room. - **Event Planning Industry:** Event planners can create unique, niche-themed events that incorporate pop culture and immersive dining experiences, offering a point of differentiation from traditional event planning services. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Immersive Cultural Restaurants](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/superfresh.md) - [Book-Themed Bar Concepts](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/book-bar-toronto.md) - [Immersive Upscale Dining Concepts](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/playbook-commons.md) - [Galactic Cafe Experiences](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/Star-wars-themed-cafe.md) - [Multi-Sensory Restaurants](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/selva-toronto.md) - [Flavorful Toronto Restaurants](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/able-fare-social-table.md) - [Evolutionary Toronto Dining Experiences](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-drake-hotel.md) - [Modern 1970s Milan-Inspired Restaurants](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/oretta-downtown.md) - [Transforming Robot Restaurants](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/transformers-the-ark.md)