A new 5,200-square-foot indoor entertainment venue has opened at 251 Queens Quay East, targeting families and casual players with a multi-sport simulator concept that differentiates from Toronto’s growing roster of golf-only facilities.
World Swing Golf & Games soft-opened in late 2025 at T3 Bayside with Full Swing simulators offering golf plus 13 other sports including hockey, soccer, basketball, dodgeball, cricket, rugby, bocce and carnival-style games. Owner Grace Mok built the concept around session flexibility—guests can switch between sports without restrictions during hour-long or 90-minute bookings.
Location Strategy
Mok searched exclusively for Harbourfront properties near the Distillery District before settling on the T3 Bayside ground-floor space. The location offers high ceilings required for wide-screen simulators and proximity to both waterfront residential density and the area’s growing commercial population.
“I was looking for a location close to the Distillery District, which is a very popular destination,” Mok said. “When we found this space, the bright premises with high ceilings fit all the criteria I was looking for.”
The Queens Quay East address places World Swing at the centre of multiple customer sources: the rapidly densifying Bayside residential community with over 1,000 units completed since 2018, the 251,000 square feet of office space in T3 Bayside directly above the venue, the neighbouring Waterfront Innovation Centre housing over 2,000 employees, Sugar Wharf’s commercial district anchored by the LCBO headquarters, George Brown College’s Waterfront Campus and the Distillery District’s steady tourist flow.
Market Differentiation
Toronto has seen multiple golf simulator concepts launch across downtown and in condominiums, but most focus exclusively on golf. World Swing’s multi-sport positioning targets a different customer: families where not everyone golfs and groups seeking variety over serious practice.
“The difference is that we offer 10 to 13 sports beyond golf,” Mok said. “When you have a family with small kids, they can play the sports they want at the same time.”
The no-restrictions switching model contrasts with traditional golf simulators that require completing rounds. A family can play nine holes, switch to soccer penalty kicks, try zombie dodgeball, then return to golf—all within a single booking.
Technology selection favoured Full Swing systems over competitors like TrackMan, prioritizing gaming breadth and screen size over golf-specific data analytics.
“The wide screen and accuracy level needed to be really good,” Mok said. “I’m not just opening a 24/7 golf simulator. I want to give customers the best experience, whether they play golf or other games.”
The venue positions itself as “premium yet approachable”—what Mok describes as “luxury entertainment without the intimidation factor.” The “three to 93” demographic statement signals broad appeal from birthday parties for young children to serious golfers using the facility for skill development.
Rami Kozman and Avi Behar of The Behar Group represented landlord Hines in the lease transaction, with Sam Wertman representing World Swing.
Early Performance
General Manager Jim Shorley reported strong inquiry traffic since the soft opening, though full operations await the liquor license expected in early January 2026. Foot traffic sources primarily from waterfront condo residents, office workers in T3 Bayside and surrounding buildings, George Brown College students and Distillery District visitors discovering the venue while walking past.
“Since we’ve opened the doors, people have been coming in and asking questions—they’re really intrigued,” Shorley said. “We’re drawing a lot of interest from foot traffic because of the condos and people in the neighbourhood.”
Customer behavior has validated the multi-sport thesis. One family initially booked for soccer but explored multiple games after staff demonstrations, returning the same weekend.
“When I showed him the games, he said ‘this is fantastic—I’ll be able to bring my kids back.’ They returned that same weekend,” Shorley said. “When we showed them the different games, it piqued the kids’ interest. During the hour they were here, they tried multiple different games.”
The venue also draws golfers seeking staffed facilities with food and beverage service—amenities absent from many unmanned 24/7 competitors.
“The golfers are really impressed with the Harbourfront location—it’s not like the 24/7 facilities that don’t have staff to assist if there are issues or food and beverage available,” Shorley said.
Waterfront Retail Expansion
World Swing enters a neighbourhood experiencing rapid retail activation. T3 Bayside, completed by Hines in 2023, is North America’s tallest mass timber office building at 251,000 square feet. The 42-metre, 10-storey structure designed by Danish firm 3XN achieved LEED Gold certification and stores over 10,000 metric tonnes of carbon emissions through its timber construction.
The building is part of Hines and Tridel’s Bayside master-planned community, where all four residential towers are now complete: Aqualina (362 units, 2018), Aquavista (227 condos plus 80 affordable artist lofts, 2019), Aquabella (174 units, 2021) and Aqualuna (240 units, 2024-2025). A planned twin building adjacent to T3 Bayside Phase I will add commercial office space for what Hines describes as a corporate campus experience.
Ground-floor retail is filling rapidly. Marché Leo’s opened its 40,000-square-foot flagship in November 2025 at 1 Edgewater Drive, anchoring First Capital REIT’s Bayside Village development. The grocer’s most recent downtown location features an international market kitchen serving the waterfront’s growing density.
First Capital’s Bayside Village includes over 600 residential units and 50,000 square feet of retail. Recent restaurant openings include Simona by FAB Restaurant Concepts, which launched in 2025 with Mediterranean-Italian cuisine and waterfront views, along with Momo Loco, Osmow’s Shawarma and soon-to-open Reign.
Community infrastructure is also arriving. The East Bayfront Community Recreation Centre opened in September 2025 at 261 Queens Quay East, providing 25,000 square feet of City-owned amenities including a gymnasium, fitness studio and multi-purpose rooms. The Water’s Edge Promenade was extended to Parliament Slip in December 2025, creating continuous lakefront access.
Waterfront Toronto’s broader plans include Quayside, a 4.9-hectare site that will deliver residential and mixed-use development. In December 2025, the organization’s mandate was extended to 2035 with an option to 2040. In January 2026, the federal government, Province of Ontario and City of Toronto announced $975 million in funding to accelerate waterfront revitalization, supporting plans to deliver over 14,000 new homes.
Revenue Model and Operations
World Swing operates with multiple revenue streams beyond hourly simulator bookings. Corporate packages bundle 90 minutes of gameplay with food and drinks for team-building events. Birthday parties start at $22 per child and include multi-sport virtual games plus pizza and beverages. The venue offers exclusive rental of the entire 5,200-square-foot facility for larger events, with catering options for customized menus and a VIP simulator lounge available for premium experiences.
Operating hours run Monday-Thursday 10 a.m. to 11 p.m., Friday-Saturday 10 a.m. to 1 a.m. and Sunday 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. The extended weekend hours target bar and evening traffic once the liquor license activates—later than most family entertainment venues.
The sports bar component will feature large-screen TVs and serve craft beers plus non-alcoholic options alongside signature sports bar favorites, creating walk-in revenue separate from simulator reservations. Plans for a potential outdoor patio could add summer capacity, though execution depends on waterfront weather exposure.
Expansion Strategy
Mok has confirmed multi-location expansion plans over the next three to five years, with future concepts potentially integrating bowling alleys alongside simulators. The addition of bowling would transform World Swing from a simulator-focused venue into a broader entertainment centre, though it presents substantially different operational challenges requiring larger square footage and different equipment infrastructure.
“We’re still looking for locations that would be suitable for bowling or golf simulators,” Mok said. “The challenge with bowling is that you need a lot of space.”
Despite the real estate challenges in Toronto’s constrained market where large-format entertainment venues face high rent pressures, Mok sees bowling’s broad demographic appeal as consistent with the “three to 93” positioning that defines World Swing’s brand strategy.
Future locations may vary in format depending on available real estate and market conditions. Some could replicate the Queens Quay East simulator-only model in smaller footprints, while others might be larger entertainment centres combining bowling, simulators and additional indoor sports under one roof.
“What we’re creating is an entertainment centre where young kids can come, golfers can come and bowlers can come—from three to 93,” Mok said.
Site selection depends on finding properties that can accommodate the space requirements while making economic sense in Toronto’s high-rent environment. Mok continues evaluating potential locations while the Queens Quay East flagship establishes operational processes and customer acquisition patterns that can be replicated across multiple sites.
“It’s all about the location—until you find that hidden gem, it’s tough,” Mok said.
The growth strategy also benefits from broader market trends. Golf’s rising popularity among younger players, driven partly by Canadian professionals on the PGA and LPGA tours, supports the simulator business model while Mok explores additional indoor sports beyond the current offerings.
“More and more people are starting younger and learning the game, especially with the Canadians on the PGA and LPGA doing so well,” Shorley said.
“There are other indoor sports we’re looking at as well,” Mok said.
Dustin Fuhs is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of 6ix Retail, Toronto’s premier source for retail and hospitality industry news. As the former Editor-in-Chief of Retail Insider, Canada’s most-read retail trade publication, Dustin brings over two decades of expertise spanning retail, marketing, entertainment and hospitality sectors. His experience includes leadership roles with industry giants such as The Walt Disney Company, The Hockey Hall of Fame, Starbucks and Blockbuster.
Recognized as a RETHINK Retail Top Retail Expert in 2024 and 2025, Dustin delivers insider perspectives on Toronto’s evolving retail landscape, from emerging brands to established players reshaping the city’s commercial districts.