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Toronto non-mall retail (Odds & Ends)

  • Thread starter marksimpson7843
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Bayer said:
It looks like Rogers is taking over the Forever 21 building at Yonge and Dundas - unless it's just advertising.
Click to expand...

Yes, this has been in the process for a while. The scaffolding surrounding the store just came down. They are in the midst of replacing the signage on the top of the building with a larger LCD billboard that curves around the roof.
 
Apparently Balzac's is set to go national.

Today there are 14 of the artisanal coffee outposts with 4 under development.

But the goal, it seems is now 100-150 across the nation.

The owner is remaining w/the company; though ceding the CEO post to a former Swiss Chalet/Nandos etc. exec.

www.retail-insider.com

Balzac’s Coffee Roasters Launches Cross-Canada Store Expansion

A boutique coffee company, currently with 14 stores and four more in development, is eyeing as many as 100-150 locations in Canada as it kicks off a national expansion amid increased brand awareness.
www.retail-insider.com www.retail-insider.com
.

Personally, I'm dubious, I like this chain; and I'm all for it if they can maintain what makes it special; but I'm concerned that's hard to do at 100+ outposts.

Hopefully it'll work out.
 
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I believe it's also to do with the QRC Phase 2 development getting ready to start soon:

QRC West (Queen Richmond Centre West) | 71.93m | 17s | Allied | Sweeny &Co

That is still not too bad: I work at home, alone, everyday. There are advantages, but my god the lack of human interaction can be draining. These spaces at QRC are nice and open, ready for...what's that buzzword...ah, yes...synergizing. Yea, I actually choose to come in even though I have the...
urbantoronto.ca urbantoronto.ca
 
Sadly, 'Meat on the Beach' has closed suddenly, as of yesterday.

Meat on the Beach was a butcher at heart, but had really evolved into a near full-service grocer, with produce, dairy, condiments/sauces, pasta and assorted frozen and baked goods.

A neighbourhood institution of more than 20 years, first in the 'Beach Mall' and more recently on the north side of Queen, a bit west of Woodbine.

You will find this note on their website:

It is with great sadness that we must announce that Meat on the Beach’s last day of business was Friday, January 3rd, 2020. We have served this community for over twenty years with great honour.
Thank you to our valued customers and supporters for shopping with us over the years. We have made great memories and friends along the way.

All good things must come to an end. We don’t know what the future will hold but when one
door closes another will open.

Love,
Anna and Martina

www.meatonthebeach.com

From what I understand from a friend there are indications the space is already being gutted today.
 
TransitBart said:
One has to be very brave to open a business with these rents. I don’t like the odds.
Click to expand...

I had a friend of mine suggest him and I open a restaurant in Downtown Toronto and I quickly shot it down. He wanted to open an Indian restaurant but was looking for a cheap space downtown.

I called him crazy and skipped out on the idea because the costs to open any small business in Toronto is insane. You cannot open anything in Toronto for less than 4 grand a month all in these days. When you factor in staffing, product costs, rent and electricity it is not cheap anymore. Unless you are an established chain or have a stellar product/service it will be hard to succeed.

The beaches in particular is has been bad for business in the past decade. So many small businesses have gone tits up recently along Queen Street East and no doubt it is because of artificially high rents. The services and products these former businesses offered were not of high enough value to warrant the high rents and the foot traffic in the off season along Queen East is not exactly high.

Look at the Tulip that just went out of business at Queen and Coxwell. Rumour has it the landlord wanted to charge 10000 a month in rent. The consensus is they wanted to force out the tulip to sell the property to a developer.
 
Richard White said:
I had a friend of mine suggest him and I open a restaurant in Downtown Toronto and I quickly shot it down. He wanted to open an Indian restaurant but was looking for a cheap space downtown.

I called him crazy and skipped out on the idea because the costs to open any small business in Toronto is insane. You cannot open anything in Toronto for less than 4 grand a month all in these days. When you factor in staffing, product costs, rent and electricity it is not cheap anymore. Unless you are an established chain or have a stellar product/service it will be hard to succeed.

The beaches in particular is has been bad for business in the past decade. So many small businesses have gone tits up recently along Queen Street East and no doubt it is because of artificially high rents. The services and products these former businesses offered were not of high enough value to warrant the high rents and the foot traffic in the off season along Queen East is not exactly high.

Look at the Tulip that just went out of business at Queen and Coxwell. Rumour has it the landlord wanted to charge 10000 a month in rent. The consensus is they wanted to force out the tulip to sell the property to a developer.
Click to expand...
The Tulip story is very sad. I have had more than a few brunches and late night dinners there.
 
Rockwell Jeans, located on the alley way behind the Imperial Pub (Dundas East & Victoria), is closing after 40 years in the biz. ?

www.blogto.com

Rockwell Jeans is closing after 40 years in Toronto

Rockwell Jeans, Toronto's discounted urban wear emporium, is closing after 40 years. The window-less labyrinth at 100 Bond St., home to piles of che…
www.blogto.com www.blogto.com
 
Random tidbit of urban trivia. Rockwell Jeans is the later adaptation of the World's Biggest Jean Store, which used to be right at Yonge & Dundas.

1578332830219.png


www.torontopubliclibrary.ca

World's Biggest Jeans Store Yonge & Dundas

www.torontopubliclibrary.ca www.torontopubliclibrary.ca
 
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