Todd Sherman is a pioneering owner operator who believes that the true essence of hospitality cannot be automated, franchised, or stripped down to a spreadsheet. As the CEO and President of Urban Dining Group, a premier multi-branded restaurant company in Toronto, Todd has spent nearly four decades shaping the Canadian dining landscape. Under his leadership, the group has developed and operated iconic spaces ranging from the beloved neighborhood staple, Gabby’s, to massive waterfront destinations like the Amsterdam Brewhouse, and most recently, the only NBA Courtside Restaurant in the world. Despite managing an empire, Todd remains intimately involved in the physical design and build of every single location, driven by an obsession with detail and human connection.

Todd’s hospitality journey began at just 15 years old, working at a local sandwich shop in Richmond Hill. Mentored by an older owner who meticulously placed ingredients and treated every guest like family, Todd learned early on that people don’t just come for the food, they come for the people. By 17, he was the youngest manager in the region. In 1989, his parents put everything on the line, mortgaging their home to open the very first Gabby’s at Yonge and Lawrence. Todd, still in high school and too young to legally drink, cut chicken wings, cleaned floors, and helped build what would become a North Toronto institution, a place he fondly refers to as the “original social media” where neighbors actually connected face to face.

Today, Todd fundamentally rejects the short term, “five year mandate” mindset of corporate CEOs. Instead, he operates on decade-long roadmaps, creating spaces designed specifically to foster belonging, even intentionally using narrower dining tables to bring people closer together. Fiercely protective of his team and his franchisees, Todd has built a legacy brand that prioritizes the guest experience over immediate margins, proving that in an increasingly digital world, human connection is the ultimate competitive advantage.