SP!RE
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Does anyone have a sense of when Forever21 will be opening in the Eaton Centre? Like, are we looking at May or June? Or July/August?
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taal
Senior Member
Completely random but: now that you mentioned the Eaton center ... I was by there the other day, the main fountain are on but they don't do there thing anymore! i.e. shoot out or whatever the term is. It just drains, and then turns on again. What's up with that !
urbanizer
New Member
is hot topic open yet? and did lululemon relocate or what?
prosperegal
Senior Member
Lululemon is under renos.
Patriot
Active Member
New Eaton Centre Food Court is scheduled to open September 1st, 2011. New signs are posted in the mall.
MetroMan
Senior Member
Awesome! If they renovated nothing but the foodcourts, I'd be a happy camper. I used to work nearby and couldn't stand how gross/greasy/smoky/odorous they used to be. Hopefully once they open the North Foodcourt, they'll immediately close the one on the South which in my opinion was in more urgent need of a renovation.
Cast_Member
Active Member
The washrooms in the old food court are the worst there along with T.T.C. and Dragon City. Hopefully, the new ones are well kept.
adma
Superstar
It's funny how large the foodcourts loom among those concerned w/the state of the Eaton Centre--maybe it's something to do w/the eclipse of Eatons/Simpsons-type retail; that is, for the under-30s, especially, the true mall anchors in a post-department-store era are the foodcourts. Even though they're seldom an important architectural feature (Sherway Gardens being one notable exception
Urban Shocker
Doyenne
... a bit like fancy restaurants ( c5, Frank, Jamie Kennedy's attempt at the Gardiner ) have become at museums and galleries.
GKW
Active Member
The Forever 21 is now open in the Eaton Centre (in front of the fountain)
GKW
Active Member
Scotch & Soda will be moving into the old Costa Blanca space on the second floor near Queen St in the Eaton Centre...
FAC33
Active Member
Hot Topic is now open in the Eaton Centre in the same vicinity as Old Navy.
GKW
Active Member
The Eaton Centre’s $48-million food court makeover
Published On Wed Aug 24 2011
You’re in the mood for a glass of wine. How about some smoked coconut over a tempeh wrap? Maybe it’s time to head to the food court.
Banish thoughts of dirty, cramped tables stacked with trays and the same old fast-food chains. In the battle for consumer dollars, mall owners are spending millions to upgrade their offerings to a more discerning customer.
On September 1, the Toronto Eaton Centre unveils its new $48 million Urban Eatery — perhaps the most significant evolution of the Canadian food court yet, from humble taco stand to sophisticated foodie paradise.
The Star got an exclusive look at Cadillac Fairview’s development in the basement of the city’s top tourist attraction. It is the first volley in the food wars to come as developers in Canada and throughout North America marry high end design with more upscale food offerings.
More photos from the Star’s tour of the new Urban Eatery
“I think we are a city with very diverse tastes, and the idea of burgers and tacos aren’t appealing to everyone, especially since the Eaton Centre attracts visitors from all over the world,” said Toronto restaurant consultant Jeff Hermsen. “And many of the malls have the same old chains in the food courts, and it’s getting tired.”
This is definitely not the same old. Using a palate of stainless steel, slate, marble and natural woods, Eaton Centre developers have turned the former food court into a sleek, futuristic vision.
Danish designer Vernor Panton’s iconic red plastic chairs dot the 45,000-square-foot space. And diners will notice a few changes as they come down the escalator into the basement space.
For one thing, they will be welcomed by greeters. And no more eating out of foam containers with plastic forks. All food will be plated and diners will eat with real cutlery.
“If you buy a submarine from Subway, you’ll get it on a plate if you want to,” says Brian O’Hoski, retail property manager for the Eaton Centre, which attracts as many as 1 million visitors a week.
The designer chairs and lighting fixtures are still under plastic wrap, as O’Hoski leads the Star on a hard-hat tour of the site, which is still under construction. But this is unmistakably the food court of the 21st century.
“Everyone’s looking to see if this works, and if it does, you’ll be sure that this will kick start a whole movement,” says retail and hospitality consultant Diane Chiasson.
Chiasson, says the move to upgrade food courts in shopping centres is a growing trend in North America. As fears of another recession are on the horizon, getting cash strapped customers to stay longer and perhaps shop longer in malls has also been a priority for retailers. Malls have also been upgrading to meet the wave of popular American brands such as J. Crew, Victoria’s Secret and Target, which are looking to Canada to add to the bottom line.
“It’s a good way to drive customers to come to a centre not just to purchase retail goods, but also to have a healthy meal at a good price,” says Chiasson.
Not to be outdone, the Hudson’s Bay Company flagship store on Queen St. W. had Compass Group Canada and Oliver & Bonacini redevelop its restaurants, including a 5,000-square-foot foodcourt that resembles an “old world” market and opened Aug. 16.
Meanwhile Oxford Properties, which owns Yorkdale Shopping Centre, has embarked on a $220 million expansion to be completed next year, which includes a new food court, that features an extensive patio and skylights. Like the Eaton Centre, it will also feature reusable tableware, reducing waste by 85 per cent.
Wayne Barwise, senior vice-president of development for mall owner Cadillac Fairview,
says his team toured malls in Europe and throughout North America to get the right mix. He says consumers don’t just want to eat. They want to have “food as theatre.”
So the food court has 24 “food theatre units.” Chiasson calls it visual food merchandising. Merchandisers have also coined the term “eatertainment.”
While many familiar restaurants such as KFC and McDonald’s will be at the new food court, they are presented in original ways.
Fried chicken chain KFC, for example, has a unit that looks like a futuristic art installation, with the face of Col. Sanders beaming down like a Chairman Mao icon.
And other local eateries not normally found at a food court, such as the Urban Herbivore, a vegan specialist. A Japanese-themed restaurant will serve liquor, although only on their premises.
“It’s great to see that they’ve included people who are real foodies, who aren’t just here to make a quick buck,” says Urban Herbivore owner Stephen Gardner. This is Gardner’s fourth restaurant and his first in a mall. He expects his barbecued tofu sandwich at $9 to be a hit.
“Normally I would be on Queen St. or Kensington Market, so this will be a different crowd, but I think they’ll like what they see and taste,” said Gardner, who was on site this week, working out last minute details on the design of his restaurant.
Cadillac Fairview is already reworking the food courts at several of their malls, including Markville and Sherway Gardens in the Greater Toronto Area, Barwise says. But the Eaton Centre will be the most prominent. The fact they are spending about 40 per cent of the centre’s $120 million revitalization budget underscores the importance of food in attracting consumers.
When the mall’s new food court opens September 1, the cramped south food court will be closed, with the area being renovated for other retail.
The Eaton Centre recently also opened a new “casual fine dining” Joey restaurant in July. The Calgary-based chain has 280 seats and 10,000 square feet of space.
Consultant Hermsen says making the food court destination dining, a place where people will go out of their way to get to might be even more important for the Eaton Centre since the new eatery is located two escalator rides below ground level.
And while there may be a variety of price ranges offered, there is still some risk to the investment, he says.
“It may be problematic if there are diners out there who may not want to spend $12 on lunch. And then the folks who want something quick and easy just don’t want to navigate a mall to get to the food court,” says Hermsen.
As the former chef of luxury clothing purveyor Holt Renfrew’s Bloor St. W. restaurant, Hermsen understands the synergy that dining in an upscale environment can have on shoppers.
High tea was a favourite with customers at Holt Renfrew. But it was “A lot cheaper to buy high tea than a $600 sweater,” laughs Hermsen. “ But it also allowed the customer to linger a little longer and wonder whether they should buy the matching dress.”
http://www.thestar.com/living/food/...-centre-s-48-million-food-court-makeover?bn=1
Published On Wed Aug 24 2011
You’re in the mood for a glass of wine. How about some smoked coconut over a tempeh wrap? Maybe it’s time to head to the food court.
Banish thoughts of dirty, cramped tables stacked with trays and the same old fast-food chains. In the battle for consumer dollars, mall owners are spending millions to upgrade their offerings to a more discerning customer.
On September 1, the Toronto Eaton Centre unveils its new $48 million Urban Eatery — perhaps the most significant evolution of the Canadian food court yet, from humble taco stand to sophisticated foodie paradise.
The Star got an exclusive look at Cadillac Fairview’s development in the basement of the city’s top tourist attraction. It is the first volley in the food wars to come as developers in Canada and throughout North America marry high end design with more upscale food offerings.
More photos from the Star’s tour of the new Urban Eatery
“I think we are a city with very diverse tastes, and the idea of burgers and tacos aren’t appealing to everyone, especially since the Eaton Centre attracts visitors from all over the world,” said Toronto restaurant consultant Jeff Hermsen. “And many of the malls have the same old chains in the food courts, and it’s getting tired.”
This is definitely not the same old. Using a palate of stainless steel, slate, marble and natural woods, Eaton Centre developers have turned the former food court into a sleek, futuristic vision.
Danish designer Vernor Panton’s iconic red plastic chairs dot the 45,000-square-foot space. And diners will notice a few changes as they come down the escalator into the basement space.
For one thing, they will be welcomed by greeters. And no more eating out of foam containers with plastic forks. All food will be plated and diners will eat with real cutlery.
“If you buy a submarine from Subway, you’ll get it on a plate if you want to,” says Brian O’Hoski, retail property manager for the Eaton Centre, which attracts as many as 1 million visitors a week.
The designer chairs and lighting fixtures are still under plastic wrap, as O’Hoski leads the Star on a hard-hat tour of the site, which is still under construction. But this is unmistakably the food court of the 21st century.
“Everyone’s looking to see if this works, and if it does, you’ll be sure that this will kick start a whole movement,” says retail and hospitality consultant Diane Chiasson.
Chiasson, says the move to upgrade food courts in shopping centres is a growing trend in North America. As fears of another recession are on the horizon, getting cash strapped customers to stay longer and perhaps shop longer in malls has also been a priority for retailers. Malls have also been upgrading to meet the wave of popular American brands such as J. Crew, Victoria’s Secret and Target, which are looking to Canada to add to the bottom line.
“It’s a good way to drive customers to come to a centre not just to purchase retail goods, but also to have a healthy meal at a good price,” says Chiasson.
Not to be outdone, the Hudson’s Bay Company flagship store on Queen St. W. had Compass Group Canada and Oliver & Bonacini redevelop its restaurants, including a 5,000-square-foot foodcourt that resembles an “old world” market and opened Aug. 16.
Meanwhile Oxford Properties, which owns Yorkdale Shopping Centre, has embarked on a $220 million expansion to be completed next year, which includes a new food court, that features an extensive patio and skylights. Like the Eaton Centre, it will also feature reusable tableware, reducing waste by 85 per cent.
Wayne Barwise, senior vice-president of development for mall owner Cadillac Fairview,
says his team toured malls in Europe and throughout North America to get the right mix. He says consumers don’t just want to eat. They want to have “food as theatre.”
So the food court has 24 “food theatre units.” Chiasson calls it visual food merchandising. Merchandisers have also coined the term “eatertainment.”
While many familiar restaurants such as KFC and McDonald’s will be at the new food court, they are presented in original ways.
Fried chicken chain KFC, for example, has a unit that looks like a futuristic art installation, with the face of Col. Sanders beaming down like a Chairman Mao icon.
And other local eateries not normally found at a food court, such as the Urban Herbivore, a vegan specialist. A Japanese-themed restaurant will serve liquor, although only on their premises.
“It’s great to see that they’ve included people who are real foodies, who aren’t just here to make a quick buck,” says Urban Herbivore owner Stephen Gardner. This is Gardner’s fourth restaurant and his first in a mall. He expects his barbecued tofu sandwich at $9 to be a hit.
“Normally I would be on Queen St. or Kensington Market, so this will be a different crowd, but I think they’ll like what they see and taste,” said Gardner, who was on site this week, working out last minute details on the design of his restaurant.
Cadillac Fairview is already reworking the food courts at several of their malls, including Markville and Sherway Gardens in the Greater Toronto Area, Barwise says. But the Eaton Centre will be the most prominent. The fact they are spending about 40 per cent of the centre’s $120 million revitalization budget underscores the importance of food in attracting consumers.
When the mall’s new food court opens September 1, the cramped south food court will be closed, with the area being renovated for other retail.
The Eaton Centre recently also opened a new “casual fine dining” Joey restaurant in July. The Calgary-based chain has 280 seats and 10,000 square feet of space.
Consultant Hermsen says making the food court destination dining, a place where people will go out of their way to get to might be even more important for the Eaton Centre since the new eatery is located two escalator rides below ground level.
And while there may be a variety of price ranges offered, there is still some risk to the investment, he says.
“It may be problematic if there are diners out there who may not want to spend $12 on lunch. And then the folks who want something quick and easy just don’t want to navigate a mall to get to the food court,” says Hermsen.
As the former chef of luxury clothing purveyor Holt Renfrew’s Bloor St. W. restaurant, Hermsen understands the synergy that dining in an upscale environment can have on shoppers.
High tea was a favourite with customers at Holt Renfrew. But it was “A lot cheaper to buy high tea than a $600 sweater,” laughs Hermsen. “ But it also allowed the customer to linger a little longer and wonder whether they should buy the matching dress.”
http://www.thestar.com/living/food/...-centre-s-48-million-food-court-makeover?bn=1
Student99
Active Member
^ so, according to that article, I'll be able to go to that pictured McDonald's location and get my 1.39 McDouble on real china? Classy!
Bayer
Senior Member
The list of restaurants is posted on the partition that is still blocking access to that level. Same old fast-food outlets one can find in various financial district food courts, with just a few exceptions (Urban Herbivore and Big Smoke Burger, for instance). I hope the designers had lunch in the Bay-Adelaide Centre food court and implemented better noise management as a result...