Re-Introducing: Loblaws on St. Clair West, which now has a sushi bar, a dedicated cupcake wall and a dry-aged beef locker
Name: Loblaws
Contact Info: 396 St. Clair Ave. W., loblaws.ca, @loblawsON
Neighbourhood: Casa Loma
Owner: Loblaws Companies Ltd.
The Place: A 66,000-square-foot überstore with mood lighting, multi-storey signage and a dramatic orange statement floor. The space was designed by Landini Associates, the same firm behind the similarly swankified Maple Leaf Gardens location, as well as 12 more stores opening across the country this year.
The Food: Along with the usual non-perishables, the revamped Loblaws has a 12-foot-tall cheese wall overseen by an in-house fromagephile; a sushi bar; an ACE Bakery outlet with a stone oven; a patisserie with an entire wall devoted solely to cupcakes; and a dry-aged meat case where customers’ pre-purchased loins and steaks ripen over time.
The Drinks: Shoppers in need of refreshment can order fresh-squeezed kale juice from the dedicated juice bar, a cup of tea from The Tea Emporium, or an Italian espresso from the standalone Lavazza coffee bar.
The Numbers: • 66,000 square feet • 450-plus varieties of cheese • 100-plus organic produce items • 12-foot-tall cheese wall • 11 p.m. closing time, 7 days a week • 1 sushi bar where in-house chefs craft sushi rolls to order • 1 Tea Emporium outlet • 1 in-store stone oven for on-site bread baking • 1 dry-aged beef wall, where customers can age a steak before taking it home
