McEwan Yonge & Bloor opens its doors

Celebrated Canadian chef Mark McEwan has opened his third gourmet grocery retail location at one of the busiest (and most expensive) corners in Toronto.

Covering 17,000 sq. ft, the store offers a selection of groceries along with high quality prepared meals. It’s location at the corner of Yonge and Bloor puts it on the edge of Toronto’s Yorkville neighbourhood, at the bottom of one of the newest and most prestigious condos in the city.

“We bring our restaurant and catering knowledge into our stores,” said McEwan in a release announcing the Jan. 14 opening. “Our chefs make everything in-house from scratch, so why should a grocery store be any different?”

The grocery offering will include a “carefully curated” selection of specialty ingredients and pantry staples including daily seafood deliveries and fresh produce.

Inspired by the growing popularity of chef-led food halls that focus on high-quality ingredients, McEwan opened his first gourmet grocery store in 2009 offering the best produce from local vendors alongside unique international culinary finds.

Blending the restaurant experience with a grocery offering is not new, but McEwan believes his unique expertise and experience infused throughout the store and its offerings sets McEwans apart from other grocery offerings—a challenge that will increase later this year when Canada’s first Eataly opens a few hundred metres down the street.

“McEwan's Yonge & Bloor will provide a diverse and complete food offering,” he said. “Start the day with a cold pressed juice and Lavazza coffee at our café, enjoy a custom salad for lunch and take home a handmade pasta for dinner. We have something for every taste.”

Aside from a selection of groceries, the new McEwans offers:

• A café serving Lavazza coffee, as well as fresh smoothies, house-made pastries and a full breakfast;


• Fabbrica Pizza, offering Roman style pizza made with dough baked daily, topped with garden-grown vegetables and robust cheeses to ripe fruits and generous amounts of sausage or salumi;


• A carving station and rotisserie offering whole seasoned chickens and a rotating menu of ribs, porchetta, prime rib and brisket;


• A sushi bar offering maki, nigiri, sashimi, and poké.

Click to enlarge.