Toronto-based Pusateri’s Fine Foods has revealed the opening date of its Saks Fifth Avenue food hall in downtown Toronto, as well as the opening date of its fire-devastated Avenue Road flagship. Both locations saw delays due to unforeseen circumstances.

The 25,000 square foot CF Toronto Eaton Centre Saks food hall was originally intended to open in February of 2016, at the same time that Saks Fifth Avenue opened its 170,000 square foot Canadian flagship at the eastern end of the 1 million square foot Hudson’s Bay Queen Street building. Discoveries during excavation delayed the project for several months. Pusateri’s Avenue Road flagship was ravaged by fire in August of 2015, and was originally intended to reopen in August of this year. The family recently sold the 15,000 square foot building and surrounding land to First Capital Realty, and even though the site could possibly be redeveloped in the future, Pusateri’s will continue to operate on the site indefinitely.

The Saks Fifth Avenue food hall, located on the concourse level of Saks’ Canadian flagship, will open to the public on Thursday, November 10. The store will be a showstopper, similar to the CF Sherway Gardens Saks food hall (also operated by Pusateri’s) that opened in March of this year. The new Saks food hall will feature a variety of upscale grocery items ranging from vegetables to meats, as well as specialized sit-down options and a variety of engaging culinary stations. Renderings indicate that the store will feature a Champagne and raw bar, sushi bar, cold-pressed juice bar, café, full service hot food counter, rotisserie, and several other exciting and unique features that will be revealed shortly.

Pusateri’s freestanding Toronto flagship, located at 1539 Avenue Road, will reopen on Thursday, November 17. The overhauled flagship will feature over 15,000 square feet of redesigned retail and food service space, adding over 100 new brands to its grocery assortment. Full-service fresh departments will be upgraded, including an increased local and international cheese selection, a bolstered deli meat offering, an expanded bread boutique, as well as an amplified assortment of prepared food and an elevated array of hand-rolled sushi.

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New features in the Avenue Road store will include La Cucina, a demonstration area and rotisserie carving station; Greenhouse Juices, offering 100% organic cold-pressed juices; Pusateri’s Café, where guests can enjoy specially-made coffee blends and baked goods, as well as for the first time ever a full service restaurant on the premises.

Pusateri's operated the Avenue Road store for almost 30 years, becoming a fixture in the local community. The company has since expanded to include grocery locations in Toronto's affluent Yorkville area and at Toronto's Bayview Village. A Pusateri's location at RioCan Oakville Place opened in July of this year, measuring about 18,000 square feet.

*All renderings via GH+A Design.

Canadian Retail News From Around The Web: October 11, 2016