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
251083 The 66,000-square-foot supermarket is one of 14 “inspired” (i.e. fancy) stores that opened across the country this year Re-Introducing: Loblaws Re-Introducing: Loblaws, the grocery chain’s dramatically fancified outpost in Forest Hill https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/loblaws-toronto-forest-hill-14-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/loblaws-toronto-forest-hill-14.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/loblaws-toronto-forest-hill-14.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/fancy-new-st-clair-west-loblaws/slide/loblaws-toronto-forest-hill-14/ loblaws-toronto-forest-hill-14 0 0
251069 A team of in-house artisans bake loaves and baguettes in the bakery’s stone oven Re-Introducing: Loblaws Re-Introducing: Loblaws, the grocery chain’s dramatically fancified outpost in Forest Hill https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/loblaws-toronto-forest-hill-01-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/loblaws-toronto-forest-hill-01.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/loblaws-toronto-forest-hill-01.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/fancy-new-st-clair-west-loblaws/slide/loblaws-toronto-forest-hill-01/ loblaws-toronto-forest-hill-01 0 0
251078 Over 450 cheeses are available by the full wheel, half wheel or wedge Re-Introducing: Loblaws Re-Introducing: Loblaws, the grocery chain’s dramatically fancified outpost in Forest Hill https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/loblaws-toronto-forest-hill-10-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/loblaws-toronto-forest-hill-10.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/loblaws-toronto-forest-hill-10.jpg 667 1000 [] https://torontolife.com/food/fancy-new-st-clair-west-loblaws/slide/loblaws-toronto-forest-hill-10/ loblaws-toronto-forest-hill-10 0 0
251071 Re-Introducing: Loblaws Re-Introducing: Loblaws, the grocery chain’s dramatically fancified outpost in Forest Hill https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/loblaws-toronto-forest-hill-03-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/loblaws-toronto-forest-hill-03.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/loblaws-toronto-forest-hill-03.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/fancy-new-st-clair-west-loblaws/slide/loblaws-toronto-forest-hill-03/ loblaws-toronto-forest-hill-03 0 0
251073 A metal display case houses cuts of beef, which are dry-aged for a minimum of 28 days. Customers can buy a steak and monitor the aging process when they visit the store Re-Introducing: Loblaws Re-Introducing: Loblaws, the grocery chain’s dramatically fancified outpost in Forest Hill https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/loblaws-toronto-forest-hill-05-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/loblaws-toronto-forest-hill-05.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/loblaws-toronto-forest-hill-05.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/fancy-new-st-clair-west-loblaws/slide/loblaws-toronto-forest-hill-05/ loblaws-toronto-forest-hill-05 0 0
251074 Dry-aged steaks are tagged with the names of their patient owners Re-Introducing: Loblaws Re-Introducing: Loblaws, the grocery chain’s dramatically fancified outpost in Forest Hill https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/loblaws-toronto-forest-hill-06-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/loblaws-toronto-forest-hill-06.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/loblaws-toronto-forest-hill-06.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/fancy-new-st-clair-west-loblaws/slide/loblaws-toronto-forest-hill-06/ loblaws-toronto-forest-hill-06 0 0
251075 The fruit and veggie aisle includes over 100 different kinds of organic produce Re-Introducing: Loblaws Re-Introducing: Loblaws, the grocery chain’s dramatically fancified outpost in Forest Hill https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/loblaws-toronto-forest-hill-07-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/loblaws-toronto-forest-hill-07.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/loblaws-toronto-forest-hill-07.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/fancy-new-st-clair-west-loblaws/slide/loblaws-toronto-forest-hill-07/ loblaws-toronto-forest-hill-07 0 0
251081 The fruit and veggie aisle houses over 100 different kinds of organic produce Re-Introducing: Loblaws Re-Introducing: Loblaws, the grocery chain’s dramatically fancified outpost in Forest Hill https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/loblaws-toronto-forest-hill-12-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/loblaws-toronto-forest-hill-12.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/loblaws-toronto-forest-hill-12.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/fancy-new-st-clair-west-loblaws/slide/loblaws-toronto-forest-hill-12/ loblaws-toronto-forest-hill-12 0 0
251076 The juice bar serves fresh-squeezed fruit and vegetable juices Re-Introducing: LoblawsRe-Introducing: Loblaws Re-Introducing: Loblaws, the grocery chain’s dramatically fancified outpost in Forest Hill https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/loblaws-toronto-forest-hill-08-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/loblaws-toronto-forest-hill-08.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/loblaws-toronto-forest-hill-08.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/fancy-new-st-clair-west-loblaws/slide/loblaws-toronto-forest-hill-08/ loblaws-toronto-forest-hill-08 0 0
251084 Sushi chefs slice rolls to order at the T&T sushi bar Re-Introducing: Loblaws Re-Introducing: Loblaws, the grocery chain’s dramatically fancified outpost in Forest Hill https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/loblaws-toronto-forest-hill-15-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/loblaws-toronto-forest-hill-15.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/loblaws-toronto-forest-hill-15.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/fancy-new-st-clair-west-loblaws/slide/loblaws-toronto-forest-hill-15/ loblaws-toronto-forest-hill-15 0 0
251077 The patisserie has a dedicated cupcake wall Re-Introducing: Loblaws Re-Introducing: Loblaws, the grocery chain’s dramatically fancified outpost in Forest Hill https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/loblaws-toronto-forest-hill-09-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/loblaws-toronto-forest-hill-09.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/loblaws-toronto-forest-hill-09.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/fancy-new-st-clair-west-loblaws/slide/loblaws-toronto-forest-hill-09/ loblaws-toronto-forest-hill-09 0 0
251085 A standalone outlet of the Tea Emporium Re-Introducing: Loblaws Re-Introducing: Loblaws, the grocery chain’s dramatically fancified outpost in Forest Hill https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/loblaws-toronto-forest-hill-16-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/loblaws-toronto-forest-hill-16.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/loblaws-toronto-forest-hill-16.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/fancy-new-st-clair-west-loblaws/slide/loblaws-toronto-forest-hill-16/ loblaws-toronto-forest-hill-16 0 0
251080 Re-Introducing: Loblaws Re-Introducing: Loblaws, the grocery chain’s dramatically fancified outpost in Forest Hill https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/loblaws-toronto-forest-hill-11-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/loblaws-toronto-forest-hill-11.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/loblaws-toronto-forest-hill-11.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/food/fancy-new-st-clair-west-loblaws/slide/loblaws-toronto-forest-hill-11/ loblaws-toronto-forest-hill-11 0 0
The store is still a bit of a mess and has supply issues. I have a better time finding items at the Bloor Street Market.
The picture is a bit deceiving…for anyone who has been in the new superstores, they basically have two sections: The first section like above…all nicely curated and well maintained…and then the other side is just rows and rows of canned goods and what not. The bakery and meat shop arent all that more “fancy” than what you get at other places… All in all…dissapointed..
Ooooo, a cupcake wall. If this were 2010, someone would probably find that interesting. Do they plan on opening a martini bar bar next?
What cynicism — it’s painful! The store is lovely and makes for a very enjoyable shopping experience. I’m glad it’s in the neighbourhood.