Back in Business
At 6:40 this morning a line began to form at Maple Leaf Square beside the Air Canada Centre and it wasn’t related to a sporting event. A new Longo’s opened its doors to the public this morning at 7.
The 48,000 square foot flagship store is their 23rd location in the greater Toronto area but their first first full format store. Paco Underhill, a foremost authority on shopping behaviour and bestselling author of Why We Buy: The Science of Shopping
Putting the “super” in “supermarket”, the new store is designed to be, as Rosanne Longo said, a “symphony for the senses”. It is indeed a foodist’s playground, and I was like a kid in a candy store.
Offerings includes gourmet pizza made on site; store-made all-natural hardwood smoked deli meats and fish with no preservatives or additives; a chocolatier – though they also carry Dufflet’s cakes and tarts; and in-store tortilleria and chapati makers. Their rice cake maker is fun to watch. Rice mixture goes into the base, the lid comes down, heats it for a few seconds then out it flies with a fun little sound – like “poof”. They’re tasty too.
The store offers fresh gluten-free bakery products, rare hybrid fruit and boasts the biggest cheese selection in Toronto. With over 300 types of cheeses on-site cheese, experts will help you find the perfect pairing.
Visit the Aromaté Café by Longo’s, where they roast their own coffee and offer a wide variety. Try the exotic Kopi Luwak coffee, aka “civet coffee” at $11 per cup. Coffee not your thing? The café also offers a wide variety of loose tea.
The prepared food is comparable in price – or less – to food you’d make yourself. I read the price tags. For $9 you can get a semi-prepped dinner, “fresh meals, made easy” for 2. Or as I pointed out, “dinner for 1 plus lunch” for us single people. Longo’s take a “try before you buy” approach to many of their food items.
Longo’s has their own wine store staffed by knowledgeable people and while you can’t drink while you shop, you can drink before or after without leaving the store. Inside Longo’s Maple leaf Square is Corks Beer and Wine Bar, a bar that serves exclusively Ontario beer and wine. Each product is chosen by sommelier/manager Lesley Martin. At yesterday’s opening Martin and her team were serving Stratus Wines (Niagara-on-the-Lake). Corks is in an area of the store called “The Loft”. “The Loft” is a lounge area with free WiFi, a Starbucks, microwave- for heating up the food you’ve just bought, a seating area, sinks and five flat-screen televisions. My immediate reaction was “Why would you want all that in a supermarket?” but then realized, why not? Longo’s is now a destination. A place to hang between meetings and appointments. Somewhere to study or do freelance work. It redefines “supermarket”. If you happen to see some nice produce on the way out or have a specific food craving, how convenient!
The Loft Cooking School offers cooking classes featuring local and celebrity chefs. There’s a Private Function area for parties, meetings and special events. Another feature of the store is a “living wall”, a hydroponic green wall containing a range of plants specifically selected for use in the system. The plants include a range of flowering and foliage plants such as ferns and orchids.
When’s the last time you checked out the washroom at a supermarket? I did, and it was beautiful. The stalls have tempered glass doors set in wood, the sinks are modern and the hand soap is foamy and smells nice. You could practically live there. Remember when the Bundys (Married With Children) tried camping out in a supermarket?
Does the new Longo’s validate parking? Of course. Parking while you’re shopping is free if you spend a minimum of $30. They will even carry your groceries to your car. Don’t have a car? They (specifically Jerry Buligan, Director, Risk Management and Operation Support) created a new spin on a wheelie cart: An insulated piece of luggage with pockets, on Rollerblade wheels, that folds up and stores in its own bag ($19). This thing is brilliant. I wanted to buy one on the spot. Take a look at this grocery carry-all:
(Makes a great pet carrier!)
Taking a couple of guided tours of the store yesterday, I noted that the store is a large supermarket with, at times, the feel of a smaller family business. It’s the same feeling I get from Fiesta Farms. I’d still prefer it if all supermarkets had fruits and vegetables up front (Fiesta Farms does – Mark Bittman appreciated that) but I could get into the new Longo’s.
…And make sure you take a look at Sean Ward’s video. I’m caught on camera eating dessert, answering questions while giddy from sugar and wine.
Kopi Luwak coffee, “civet coffee”, may sound disgusting to those with a sensitive imagination but it is in fact a delicious tasting coffee!