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Just heard word that John's Italian on Baldwin Street will be closing.

Sad to hear this. Always dependable, no-nonsense Italian for a decent price. No word on what will replace it.
 
This is the Atrium on Bay.

Application: Building Additions/Alterations Status: Not Started

Location: 595 BAY ST
TORONTO ON M5G 2C2

Ward 27: Toronto Centre-Rosedale

Application#: 14 117081 BLD 00 BA Accepted Date: Feb 13, 2014

Project: Restaurant 30 Seats or Less Interior Alterations

Description: To complete interior alteratison to Unit FC-5 on the concourse level of the existing building to open a "Tim Hortons" take out restaurant.
 
PHP:
Ex-Montreal Girl said:
Cool your pasta maker. It ain't happening anytime in the near future. And my guess is that they will choose Montreal before Toronto.
Click to expand...

Do you have any inside info or are you just playing the tired 'Montreal is more cultured/cooler/grand/etc than Toronto' card? The reason I ask is that a few years ago Mario Batali mentioned his ten year plan for Eataly was for locations in DC, LA, Mexico City and Toronto - no mention of Montreal.

Also, forum member bAuHaUs who has given many retail scoops in the past also mentioned Eataly opening in Toronto a few days before Retail Insider (who has also been mostly right when it comes to reporting new retail).
 
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Southcore said:
PHP:

Do you have any inside info or are you just playing the tired 'Montreal is more cultured/cooler/grand/etc than Toronto' card? The reason I ask is that a few years ago Mario Batali mentioned his ten year plan for Eataly was for locations in DC, LA, Mexico City and Toronto - no mention of Montreal.
Click to expand...

Like Joe would say on MasterChef, EMG it's time for you to take off that apron.....LOL.....well they are definately considering Toronto, above and beyond any other market in Canada.
 
bAuHaUs said:
Like Joe would say on MasterChef, EMG it's time for you to take off that apron.....LOL.....well they are definately considering Toronto, above and beyond any other market in Canada.
Click to expand...

It's not about Montreal being cooler. It's about a foodie market with no St. Lawrence, Whole Foods, Pusateri competition...and lots of major warehouse-type space in place like the Old Port. Sure Montreal has Cinq Saisons but it's meh compared to what Toronto has. Even the Atwater Market doesn't measure. (See? That's not playing Montreal is cooler card. Far from it. It's just a place where there are customers in search of a place like Eataly. I'm talking marketing, pure and simple, in a city where the rents are lower and the parking easier.)

As for my comment, I said:

It ain't happening anytime in the near future.
Click to expand...

Near future to me is 1-4, maybe 5, years. The last time there was talk of an Eataly was 2010 ... four years ago. And we still have had no announcement, no location, no nothing.

So, like I said, cool your pasta maker. Per favore.
 
Using that logic, Eataly would have opened its first North American outlets in Cleveland and St. Louis, given that there are too many options in Manhattan and Chicago.
 
The other problem with entering Quebec first is cost of entry. Since all computer systems, training materials, etcetera etc must be available in French, it can be a huge roadblock.
 
reetard said:
The other problem with entering Quebec first is cost of entry. Since all computer systems, training materials, etcetera etc must be available in French, it can be a huge roadblock.
Click to expand...

Now THAT makes sense.

Eataly did not become such a success by expanding too fast. It has only two outlets in the US and my guess is there will be a third -- Miami? San Fran? -- before one in Canada. Even though Toronto is not Quebec, there are still bilingual labelling laws, among other issues.

Also, it's about much more than leasing a site. Much of Eataly's success is about its staffing and training, and that takes time. Then of course, there are distributors and the logistics. Importers who now supply smaller groceries are gonna be strong-armed to make exclusive deals, either by Eataly or Pusateri's or whomever. We're talking years down the road.

As for Skeezix claiming that my logic is flawed, hello? There's a LOT of money in Montreal, and a LOT of foodies. Cleveland and St. Louis are hardly rich tourist destinations. Get real.
 
Labeling isn't a big deal in ontario, as long as there's english, grenache is considered nice to have but not necessary. I speak from experience.
 
EMG, You completely missed the point of my comment.

In any event, you seem not to have any information. Just speculation. Which is fine, but you needn't be so condescending, especially since another poster seems to have actual information, which he set out in the other thread.
 
reetard said:
The other problem with entering Quebec first is cost of entry. Since all computer systems, training materials, etcetera etc must be available in French, it can be a huge roadblock.
Click to expand...

Since Eataly operates in three countries already, and is presumably looking at expanding into others, I don't imagine that operating in a language other than English is a big issue.
 
This is the building just south of Wellesley that currently houses a discount store. Used to be a mini mall.


Application: Building Additions/Alterations Status: Not Started

Location: 558 YONGE ST
TORONTO ON M4Y 1Z1

Ward 27: Toronto Centre-Rosedale

Application#: 14 118273 BLD 00 BA Accepted Date: Feb 18, 2014

Project: Multiple Unit Building Multiple Projects

Description: Proposal for interior alterations to ground floor of existing building for a restaurant with 150 seats. Proposal includes for a commercial kitchen, HVAC and PLB.
 
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