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Introduction
There’s something magical about walking into an ice cream shop. The sweet smell of waffle cones in the air, the hum of freezers, the colourful tubs of flavours lined up like paint on a canvas, all bringing in that good and sweet feeling! Our visit to one of Toronto’s highly rated Ice Cream spots, Good Behaviour, was no different.
Tucked in the heart of Gerrard Street East, Good Behaviour Ice cream is more than a treat — it’s a love letter to the community, and the joy of sharing something simple that makes everyone smile.
Founded by Michael and Eric, both veterans of Toronto’s restaurant scene, Good Behaviour blends the craftsmanship of their years of experience working in fine dining establishments and the warmth of a neighbourhood staple. And while their ice cream is unforgettable, I was really surprised by their meatball subs that had me wanting more, but unfortunately, my stomach can only take so much – for now.
What does efosa recommend at Good Behaviour?
- Spicy Meatball Sub – I am not really into meatballs, but I loved this one. It is fresh, soft, juicy, and really, really good.
- S’mores Ice Cream – I have a sweet tooth, so this was an easy choice for me.
- Flight Five Flavours – Five Ice cream scoops in one tray. A big portion, so I recommend sharing with a friend, partner, or even on a date (trust me, they’ll love it).
Q&A
We sat down with Eric to learn more about the inspiration, flavours, and the magic of building community one cone at a time. Here is our Q&A with the founder
The Inspiration Behind Good Behaviour
Q: What inspired you to open an ice cream shop?
A : My partner and I were working in restaurants before the pandemic, and like everyone else, we found ourselves craving comfort food. Jokingly, we said, “What’s more comforting than ice cream?” — even though we live in a country that’s frozen for six months! We tested the idea in 2021, and that’s how Good Behaviour began.
Q: How did you come up with the name “Good Behaviour”?
A: Our logo is a hand holding an ice cream cone like a prize. Ice cream is a reward — something that gets you out of the house to celebrate the little things. Fun fact: “GB” also matches the initials of my business partner Michael’s wife, which felt like a blessing.
Q: What is the story behind the brand?
A: We wanted to take our experiences, techniques, and lessons from working in fine-dining establishments and implement them in a quick-service environment. A place that is warm, approachable, and friendly, but still has high quality and attention to detail.
Founder Picks
Q: What are your top most try sandwiches and scoops
A: **laughs”” personal bias – The meatball is one of our best sellers. A sleeper on the menu is our “Pork Shoulder.” It is a rip of a popular sub in Philly; it has a nice texture, fat, and rich. If I don’t have to do work after. That is the perfect sub for me!
One that we waited a long time to do and just released this year in partnership with Hyperdub, a female motorgang. It’s a flavor called Hyper Mint Crunch. It is like a mint chip. It is flavoured and coloured with spinach. It is delicious. It has the perfect amount of mintiness. It comes with Nutella chocolate. It is like one of my favourite ice-creams
Q: What item on your menu represents Good Behaviour?
A: The meatball sub is a great example and encapsulates who we are as a business. The meatball appears similar. It is four meatballs on a sub, with pesto mayo, chili’s, and melted cheese. That seems like a simple build for a sandwich, but on the back end, we put a lot of technique, care, and work that goes into it. It is a 3-day process to make the meatball. The meatball is made with nine different cuts of meat, which are built over three days. The process is long, but you would never know that. When customers come in, they order the sub, and three minutes later, it arrives. It is warm, delicious, and hot.
Q: Is there an ice cream that you feel represents Good Behaviour?
A: Our ice cream is technique-driven as well. It contains a mixture of milk, cream, sugar, and egg yolk. We do not use a mix, and it is made from scratch. There is a depth of flavor that we hope people see and appreciate. In terms of a flavor that embodies Good Behaviour, for me, I would go with the Hong Kong Milk Tea. It’s nostalgic for me—going out with my dad to Chinese restaurants as a kid. We turned that memory into ice cream. Our base is made from scratch—milk, cream, sugar, egg yolk—no mix. We hope people taste the depth and care.
Good Behaviour Meets Community.
Q: What do you love most about working at Good Behaviour? The people, food, or atmosphere
A: The people make it very fun. Food is a dynamic space: suppliers, managers, customers, landlords—humans everywhere. With my background in Psychology and Anthropology, this business allows me to combine those disciplines with something as joyful as food!
Q: How does Good Behaviour impact the surrounding communities?
A: We’re a positive touchpoint. Our 1324A Gerrard St E location wouldn’t exist without the support of our neighbours, friends, and the surrounding communities. We give back through sponsorships and partnerships with local schools and Michael Garron Hospital. Whether it is this location or our other locations, we strive to ensure that we leave a positive impact on the community.
Q: How do you want people to feel when they step into your shop?
A: A sense of belonging. Warm, welcomed, and cared for. We also want people to feel they’re getting great value on familiar staples—ice cream and sandwiches done with craft. We love it when guests ask, “How did you make this? Why is it so good?”
Getting Personal with the Founders
Q: What has been your proudest moment since working with Good Behaviour?
A: We have been around for 5 years, and there are so many moments where I was like I did not think we would get here or like I was so happy, but they are a couple.
The one that comes to mind. It was Michael, I, and a few of our staff who had just been working like madmen to open our 3rd location. It was the night before our opening, the next day. We pulled down all the brown paper (the paper that covers all the construction work), and as we pulled it down. For us, it was the first time we had seen our Queen Street location fully finished, painted, and ready to go. I remember that our staff were the ones who pulled the paper down, and another staff member was taking a video. We all started cheering. It was just six to eight people who pushed as hard as humanly possible to get it up to the ground, and it was beautiful to see all the staff involved, everyone proud as we pulled the paper down.
Another notable partnership is with Dairy Farmers of Ontario, a group responsible for representing all dairy farmers in the province of Ontario. We formed a partnership where we traveled to five different cities. It was back in 2022 for the “Milk Up” Campaign, and I remember doing a weekend in Hamilton. I went to school at McMaster’s, so it was a nice full-circle thing to come back to the city, set up our ice-cream booth, and serve about 2,500 people over two days. Coming back to what was my hometown for 4 years was a full-circle moment.
Q: How do you hope guests learn about the story behind Good Behaviour?
A: An interview like this is amazing, allowing us to tell our story. I am a talker, so if someone wanted to chat about Good Behaviour. I would gladly entertain them. We also lean on our staff to tell the stories.
We have been very fortunate to have a continuous flow of staff who have come in and have really supported and bought into our ethos of welcoming. Our staff work extremely hard to ensure that each guest feels welcome, upholding these high standards that aren’t typically found in food-service restaurants, but more akin to those of fine dining restaurants. Our staff does the heavy lifting with talking to customers, so kudos to them.
Hopeful Future
Q: Where do you see Good Behaviour in 5 years?
A: I would love to see us grow our footprint in the city. Currently, we have three shops. We have a presence in the South, East, and West – specifically, the lower downtown area of the city. I love us to expand further North of the town. Michael and I grew up in Scarborough, so we would love to shop there.
Beyond that, we would love to see our ice cream pints in other shops, so we are working on expanding our footprint.
Fun Facts and Partnerships
Q: Who would be your dream guest to serve and why?
A: It is only famous to a niche group of people. His name is Joey Chestnut. He is like a champion eater. He was in Toronto recently and ate like 26 pounds of poutine. I would like him to come in and eat as many meatballs as he could.
Q: Tell us one fun fact about Good Behaviour?
A: Fun fact, ironically, my business partner (Michael) is lactose intolerant. Odd thing to know about someone who, for a living, makes and tastes ice cream, but he loves what he does
Q: Partnerships?
A: The partnerships give us great exposure to a customer base or a new demographic. Partnerships enable us to engage in charitable work, and sometimes they come up with a fun flavor that we wouldn’t normally do. The most recent was Bill’s Mafia. We got to partner with Peace Collective, the Buffalo Bills, New Era, and the NFL, which was mind-blowing. It gave us the opportunity to host a massive giveaway inside Union Station, and we created a blueberry cheesecake that we would never have made otherwise. It pushes the envelope for us
Final Scoop
With three shops across Toronto, the Good Behaviour team is eyeing further growth — expanding north of the city and bringing their products into more stores. But no matter where they go, their mission stays the same: to create food that’s simple, joyful, and deeply rooted in care, nostalgia, and community.
Whether you’re there for a cone of Hong Kong Milk Tea ice cream or their famous meatball sub, one thing’s for sure — at Good Behaviour, every scoop and every bite comes with a story.
As always, you can keep up with all the foodie happenings in Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area on efosa.
Visit Good Behaviour
Name and Website: Good Behaviour
Socials:
Locations:
- 342 Westmoreland Ave N.
- 1324A Gerrard St E.
- 335 Queen St W
As always, you can keep up with all the fun happenings in Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area on efosa.
