Italian food concept Eataly is a confirmed anchor tenant for a significant expansion of Toronto’s Manulife Centre retail podium. The three-level Eataly will span 50,000 square feet, and will be part of a $100 million expansion that will add about 35,000 square feet of new retail space to Manulife Centre, with construction beginning in early 2017 with an anticipated completion date of early 2019.

Eataly partnered with Selfridges Group and Terroni Restaurants for its entrance to Canada. Eataly's Canadian operations are 52% owned by the billionaire Weston family, who also own Holt Renfrew, directly across the street from Manulife Centre.

The Manulife Centre redevelopment will include an overhaul of the podium’s exterior, adding a glass façade and expanding the retail area. There will be a reconfiguration of the interior space as well as the renovation of several tenant spaces, including the existing Maison Birks store at the southeast corner of Bloor Street West and Bay Street.

Eataly currently operates 27 locations worldwide. In the United States, Eataly has locations in New York City, Chicago and Boston, with more to follow. The Chicago Eataly is the largest in the chain, spanning 63,000 square feet.

*Rendering with Eataly outlined in red. Most of Eataly's retail space is on Manulife Centre's second level.*

Manulife Centre currently has more than 40 stores, services and eateries including Cineplex, Bloor Street Market (grocer), Indigo, William Ashley, Bay Bloor Radio and Maison Birks. The centre is connected underground to the east-west Bloor subway line and the north-south Yonge subway line.

For more details on the configuration of Eataly, floor plans and details of a lawsuit that almost derailed the entire deal, please read our article from May 1 of this year: Eataly Manulife Plans Revealed -- If it's Not Cancelled.

*Images supplied