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St Lawrence Market

Northern Light said:
Unlimited warm bread w/whipped garlic butter does have its appeal; though one may waddle to the door after dining there!
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I was a bus boy there about 20 years ago and on my breaks enjoy a loaf of bread fresh from the oven, dipping it in the garlic butter causing the butter to melt right away! So good!
 
DSC said:
The (final) meeting on the Master Plan for the First Parliament site was scheduled for Thursday. It has apparently been cancelled because Metrolinx are expropriating the site - I assume for Ontario Line. Really!
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Really? The last I saw there was a proposed station at Berkeley and King, is this being moved south a bit, maybe?
 
Jersey Giant replacement.
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Starbucks is permanently closing 25 locations in the downtown next week, including two in the St. Lawrence Market, specifically 81 Front St East (between the Market and the former Jersey Giant) and the King & Sherbourne location. I'm not a Starbucks drinker and I prefer to support the indie shops, but having these prominent retail units empty or converted to cannabis retailers is not good for the neighbourhood.

The Urban Barn location at Princess & King also closed this week. It's been a prominent retail since that condo building opened about a decade ago. Another large empty space.
 
SunriseChampion said:
The new thing showing up absolutely everywhere and looking quite like it's oversaturating the market is Popeyes for some reason.
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Which is weird because for so many years (decades?) their location across from the Eaton Centre was the only one in the city.
 
Towered said:
Which is weird because for so many years (decades?) their location across from the Eaton Centre was the only one in the city.
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Nothing particularly weird about it.

They got bought by Restaurant Brands International; (aka Tim's and Burger King).

They have the capital to push expansion.

They also have market room because KFC has been backsliding for years.

They were an inconsequential chain in Canada, when a GTA frachchisor made a play by having them adopt halal meat.

That provided a modest, but material boost to the chain's fortunes here.

But then RBI annexed them.

The combination of relatively smart direct management at Popeyes, with vast sums of capital, in the form of RBI.

I'm not particularly amazed at Popeyes product offer, but I'm not a fast food person.

Their spicy fried chicken is decent'ish; and their new over-hyped sandwich is likewise good (but not great); but the combination of going after spaces KFC didn't
(the spicy segment; slightly better sides etc.) while putting capital and real estate savvy to work.........

****

Not so different a story over at A & W; which again, makes a pretty lackluster product overall.

But they found a clear niche, targeting customers concerned about animal welfare, and sustainability, they've marketed the hell out of it, with a pretty brilliant ad campaign too.

They also showed real estate savvy, and took on small spaces that bigger chains, typically fixated on large amounts of seating, ignored.

Now, if only their food tasted good............
 
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