Mark McEwan’s opens his grocery store this week (no, seriously)—and plans a second downtown location

Mark McEwan’s opens his grocery store this week (no, seriously)—and plans a second downtown location

Northern star: Mark McEwan will open his gourmet mega-store at The Shops at Don Mills this Thursday

After months of anticipation, Shops at Don Mills will finally get its gourmet grocer this Thursday, says Mark McEwan. We caught up with The Food Network star over the weekend as he was assembling seared tuna at Toronto Taste 2009 under the gaze of a camera crew. McEwan was supposed to open this Wednesday but computer problems lead to a 24-hour delay. Of course, the store was originally slated to open last January, so what’s one more day?

McEwan also put an end to speculation about the store’s bread source, saying that Quebecois bakery Boulart will be supplying the baked goods, not Première Moisson. Boulart won in five separate blind taste tastes the chef conducted with his staff, not because Moisson pulled out of the project, as was rumoured.

But even with three restaurants, one catering company and a grocery store to manage, McEwan is thinking about the next project for his empire. Right now he’s eyeing a property for a second grocery store across from Susur Lee’s digs on King West, which are currently occupied by a hideous Travelodge that will be demolished very soon.