khris
Senior Member
I just went there on Friday as well. Awesome store! They were giving out lots of free samples too. Their pizza is so good!
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Irishmonk
Senior Member
^Have to agree. I went there with my Dad, who was visiting from BC, and it blew his mind. Fresh pizza, salad bar, wine bar and an incredible supermarket that is generally cheaper than Metro. My Dad is now waiting for Longos to expand west.
Skeezix
Senior Member
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Tried the new Longo's today. I concur with the previous comments about how it is a beautiful store. A few nits, though:
1) Almost all the meat is factory farm crap. I was hoping they'd have a bit more selection of organic meats, grass-fed beef, even naturally-raised....but no. Maybe I missed some things - I dunno.
2) The coffee and tea counter is lovely, and they clearly roast coffee on site. However, none of the beans were dated as to when they were roasted, which is kind of a big deal. There's no point buying freshly roasted coffee beans if they were roasted six days ago.
3) It was Oct. 30 today, and almost all the bottled milk had a best before date of Nov. 1. I also had to dig around to find cottage cheese that wasn't going to expire in the next few days.
#2 and 3 migt just be a new store still finding its feet. Otherwise, nice place to shop.
1) Almost all the meat is factory farm crap. I was hoping they'd have a bit more selection of organic meats, grass-fed beef, even naturally-raised....but no. Maybe I missed some things - I dunno.
2) The coffee and tea counter is lovely, and they clearly roast coffee on site. However, none of the beans were dated as to when they were roasted, which is kind of a big deal. There's no point buying freshly roasted coffee beans if they were roasted six days ago.
3) It was Oct. 30 today, and almost all the bottled milk had a best before date of Nov. 1. I also had to dig around to find cottage cheese that wasn't going to expire in the next few days.
#2 and 3 migt just be a new store still finding its feet. Otherwise, nice place to shop.
khris
Senior Member
Did you get a suggestion card with your purchases? Maybe write those down.
JasonParis
Moderator
CDL.TO
Moderator
Checked out the Regent Park FRESHCO on Sunday. Not very busy. Very clean and very plain. It's clearly getting a big boost from being new. I'm sure those storage-rack shelving and unadorned walls will start looking just as scuzzy as any other No Frills or Food Basics within a few years.
Produce selection was good (much, much better than No Frills or Food Basics). One side of one of the aisles seemed to be dedicated to random sale items stacked high... which felt like a Costco.
The other big advantage they have is space. The FRESHCO is a good size, while the Cabbagetown No Frills and the St. Jamestown Food Basics are both very small which limits selection.
Produce selection was good (much, much better than No Frills or Food Basics). One side of one of the aisles seemed to be dedicated to random sale items stacked high... which felt like a Costco.
The other big advantage they have is space. The FRESHCO is a good size, while the Cabbagetown No Frills and the St. Jamestown Food Basics are both very small which limits selection.
Bayer
Senior Member
Lots of construction work at 777 Bay St. where the restaurants used to be on the south side of the main floor. A teaser sign on the partition shows two shopping hand baskets, so I guess it will be the new Sobeys.
Northern Light
Superstar
Time for a Comprehensive Update to this thread's first post.
By Chain:
LOBLAWS/NO Frills:
Current:
Queen's Quay & Jarvis
Bloor Street Market (renovated/rebranded 2010)
Proposed and U/C
Maple Leaf Gardens (rumoured target opening May 2011)
Queen/Portland
Toronto Sun Building (No Frills - opens March 2011)
Bathurst/Lakeshore (City application pending)
Metro
Current:
Bloor/Spadina
College Park
Merchandise Bldg (Gould/Church)
Front/Church
Proposed/U/C
One Bloor ** (previous proposal, not confirmed for new GG bldg)
(not downtown, but ALSO, Dupont + Lansdowne)
Sobeys/Freshco
Current
Spadina/Bremner
Queen's Quay (mini)
Front/Sherbourne
Annex (mini)
Yonge north of college (mini)
Regent Park (FRESHCO Banner - opened 2010)
Proposed and U/C
College Park
Longos
Current:
Dundas/Elizabeth - mini
Brookfield (BCE) Place - mini
Hudson's Bay Centre - mini (open 2010)
First Cdn Place - mini (open 2010)
MLS (Bremner and York) - full (open 2010)
Proposed and U/C
(not downtown...but Laird Drive - Leaside, old Cdn Northern Locamotive shop)
Whole Foods
Current: Hazelton Lanes/Yorkville (expansion begins March 31, 2011, completion Sept 2011)
Proposed/U/C
not downtown, but Bayview/Eglinton
Rumoured
Bathurst/Front area
McEwan
No Current
Rumoured:
King/Bathurst
By Chain:
LOBLAWS/NO Frills:
Current:
Queen's Quay & Jarvis
Bloor Street Market (renovated/rebranded 2010)
Proposed and U/C
Maple Leaf Gardens (rumoured target opening May 2011)
Queen/Portland
Toronto Sun Building (No Frills - opens March 2011)
Bathurst/Lakeshore (City application pending)
Metro
Current:
Bloor/Spadina
College Park
Merchandise Bldg (Gould/Church)
Front/Church
Proposed/U/C
One Bloor ** (previous proposal, not confirmed for new GG bldg)
(not downtown, but ALSO, Dupont + Lansdowne)
Sobeys/Freshco
Current
Spadina/Bremner
Queen's Quay (mini)
Front/Sherbourne
Annex (mini)
Yonge north of college (mini)
Regent Park (FRESHCO Banner - opened 2010)
Proposed and U/C
College Park
Longos
Current:
Dundas/Elizabeth - mini
Brookfield (BCE) Place - mini
Hudson's Bay Centre - mini (open 2010)
First Cdn Place - mini (open 2010)
MLS (Bremner and York) - full (open 2010)
Proposed and U/C
(not downtown...but Laird Drive - Leaside, old Cdn Northern Locamotive shop)
Whole Foods
Current: Hazelton Lanes/Yorkville (expansion begins March 31, 2011, completion Sept 2011)
Proposed/U/C
not downtown, but Bayview/Eglinton
Rumoured
Bathurst/Front area
McEwan
No Current
Rumoured:
King/Bathurst
CDL.TO
Moderator
Just off the top of my head, you've missed both the Food Basics and the No Frills in St. Jamestown.
GraphicMatt
Looking forward to a FRESH START for Toronto
Am I crazy or did I once read something indicating there'd be a grocery store in the Vu building?
Northern Light
Superstar
Re: CDL
Originally, the list was geographically tighter (downtown proper), and didn't include any discount grocers.
Its migrated, because of what people have posted/asked about; and because the Sobeys at Regent Park actually arrived as Freshco and the Sun Bldg (one thought to be Loblaws) turned out to be No Frills.
Don't think I can edit that post anymore, but I can add those the next time the I update the whole list; probably after Loblaws MLG opens.
Re: Graphic Matt
Nope, you're not crazy, there were local rumours/reports that Sobeys had leased space in VU. I reported that in the initial post for the thread.
But as VU is long since finished, and there is no sign of a grocer, I assume either that was false, and/or the plans got cancelled. As such, I removed that from the updated list.
Originally, the list was geographically tighter (downtown proper), and didn't include any discount grocers.
Its migrated, because of what people have posted/asked about; and because the Sobeys at Regent Park actually arrived as Freshco and the Sun Bldg (one thought to be Loblaws) turned out to be No Frills.
Don't think I can edit that post anymore, but I can add those the next time the I update the whole list; probably after Loblaws MLG opens.
Re: Graphic Matt
Nope, you're not crazy, there were local rumours/reports that Sobeys had leased space in VU. I reported that in the initial post for the thread.
But as VU is long since finished, and there is no sign of a grocer, I assume either that was false, and/or the plans got cancelled. As such, I removed that from the updated list.
Peepers
Banned
The new Rabba foods store opened up yesterday on Wellesley east in the base of the VERVE condo.
This 24 hour store features a Subway sandwich shop and RBC bank machine.
A welcome addition to the neighborhood.
This 24 hour store features a Subway sandwich shop and RBC bank machine.
A welcome addition to the neighborhood.
adamg4848
New Member
I realize it might not be considered downtown, but there's also a Metro in Liberty Village.
CDL.TO
Moderator
I've tried to put them all on one map. I've included out to Keele, St. Clair/O'Connor, and Woodbine.
Central Toronto Grocery Stores Google Map
Please let me know if I've forgotten any. I'm not so sure about independents. Are there any that can fairly be described as full grocery stores?
I might push the boundary out further to include the entire former City of Toronto.
Central Toronto Grocery Stores Google Map
Please let me know if I've forgotten any. I'm not so sure about independents. Are there any that can fairly be described as full grocery stores?
I might push the boundary out further to include the entire former City of Toronto.
Northern Light
Superstar
First off, CDL, GREAT JOB on the mapping, that must have taken a bit of time!
Notwithstanding the great work......
For existing locations, I would argue for including:
Big Carrot - Danforth just west of Chester
Pusateri's - Bay St, @ Yorkville, s/w corner
Longo's Market - First Cdn Place
For u/c
Sobeys-Fresh, College Park.
Otherwise, I think you have it pretty well scoped out!
Good resource tool.
Notwithstanding the great work......
For existing locations, I would argue for including:
Big Carrot - Danforth just west of Chester
Pusateri's - Bay St, @ Yorkville, s/w corner
Longo's Market - First Cdn Place
For u/c
Sobeys-Fresh, College Park.
Otherwise, I think you have it pretty well scoped out!
Good resource tool.