Wild Fork to wind down Canadian operations

Wild Fork is taming its operations in Canada.

The JBS-owned specialty frozen meat and seafood retailer is closing all four of its Ontario stores by mid-December, according to its website. Online and in-app orders ended last week.

“After careful consideration, Wild Fork has made the difficult decision to exit the Canadian market and close our operations in Canada,” the retailer said in a note to customers published on its website. “We are incredibly grateful for the customers who welcomed Wild Fork into their communities and trusted us to serve them. It has been a privilege to bring the Wild Fork experience to Canada, and we sincerely appreciate your support.”

Wild Fork tested the waters with Canadian consumers through e-commerce and home delivery in early 2023, before opening its first brick-and-mortar location in Whitby, Ont. that May.

It went on to open stores in Oakville, Newmarket and Ancaster. The stores were approximately 4,000 square feet, including a 500 to 600- sq.-ft. back-of-house freezer. Visually, they were an extension of Wild Fork’s e-commerce site—each space had a clean, modern feel with natural light, soft paint colours and food photography.

The company will continue its omnichannel operations in the U.S.