Nature's Emporium opens in Woodbridge, Ont.

Nature's Emporium marked the opening of its fourth location, and the holistic grocery chain's 25th anniversary, by breaking bread with vendors and community members Wednesday morning.

Co-founder and president Joe D'Addario and company VPs tore into a massive Italian loaf, which has become a grand-opening tradition, before welcoming onlookers to shop the 20,000-sq.-ft. space that anchors a strip mall in Woodbridge, Ont.

Established in 1993, Nature’s Emporium is a holistic grocery store staffed by certified nutritionists. And, like the locations in Newmarket, Maple and Burlington, Ont., the Woodbridge store offers organic produce, meats, flowers, vitamins and supplements.

What's more prominent in the Woodbridge location are the juice bar and bistro in-store dining area, both of which are situated near the entrance of the store opposite the produce section.

"All this talk of online, I still think it's about meeting people and socializing so we wanted to make more of a social gathering place for the community," D'Addario told Canadian Grocer.

The independent, family-owned chain continues to seek opportunities to expand in the Great Toronto Area with hopes of a downtown location within the next two years, said D'Addario.

But before that happens, Nature's Emporium has its sights set on Whitby, Ont., which is approximately 56 kilometres east of Toronto.

"In Whitby we have a location that we already own but it has to be developed and built, so Whitby will be the next location for sure," said D'Addario.