Mine & Yours Founder Courtney Watkins Discusses Retail Expansion
Craig and Courtney discuss how she started her business in Vancouver almost a decade ago, the opening of her newest store, and plans to expand her luxury resale business into Toronto’s Yorkville area this year.
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A commercial real estate report by CBRE says the retail market continues to evolve and adapt to the changing landscape, and innovation and a focus on experience will see the sector reinvigorated this year.
The Canada Real Estate Outlook said consumer confidence remains positive and spending is forecast to stabilize in 2022.
Arlin Markowitz
“I think going into the spring and summer it’s going to be super positive. I think it’s going to feel like the Roaring 20s this summer in retail,” said Arlin Markowitz, Executive Vice President at CBRE. “People are going to be out and about. There’s still pent-up demand. I still think there’s some revenge shopping to be had. We’ve talked about that a lot over the past couple of years and I think the US has already seen it and benefited from it and we haven’t yet because of the continuous lockdowns, especially in Ontario.
“When this summer hits, there’s going to be a major explosion in spending, that people still haven’t been able to do comfortably. When people get the chance to enjoy a summer day with no lockdowns, potentially no more masking mandates, they’re going to be out and about feeling pretty damn good and they’re going to be out spending.”
Markowitz said what he’s seeing more and more in the industry is an evolving tenant mix in retail properties.
“The increased amount of food and beverage and experiential retail in both our major enclosed centres and our high streets is something that is going to keep going in the long-term and I think it’s a great change in retail,” he said.
“The mixture of restaurants and bars is creating a much more lively atmosphere out there and it’s really benefiting a lot.”
Markowitz said these other uses are helping to fill up empty spaces and will keep vacancies down as landlords are more open to a wider array of uses.
Leslieville (Image: Dustin Fuhs)
The CBRE report said supply chain disruption will continue to produce inflationary pressures for both retailers and consumers. Strong economic growth, labour shortages and constrained supply chains will see the price of goods and services increase in the year ahead.
“New food and beverage concepts will be important in attracting customers back to shopping districts, proving integral to the tenant mix and vibrancy of sites. We will also see restaurants dipping their toes into direct-to-consumer offerings that bring products and experiences directly to home kitchens across Canada,” said the report.
“Consumers will increasingly support brands that align with values aimed at sustainability in the year ahead. As retailers make bolder commitments to reducing their carbon footprint, this will impact store concept design and lead to the inclusion of green clauses in leases.”
The report said recovery in the retail sector is well underway. Retail foot traffic and sales productivity numbers rebounded to normal levels of activity as consumers eagerly made up for lost time in 2021. Existing brick-and-mortar stores are becoming more efficient too, as stores have had to adapt to an increasingly online world. Since 2010, store-based retail sales numbers have been on the rise, growing nearly two times as fast as physical inventory indicating that retailers are using space more efficiently than before, it said.
Image: CF Lime Ridge
“Retailers and consumers alike have learned from each wave of COVID, leading the industry out of the unknown and more equipped to weather whatever comes next. Rent delinquencies are also down to just 1% and 2%, respectively, for open air centres and enclosed malls as per Realpac’s Q4 2021 survey, with few retailers remaining on rent deferral programs going into the new year. Consumer confidence remains positive, and spending is forecast to stabilize in 2022 as a build-up of personal savings during the pandemic is released,” said the CBRE report.
Markowitz said shopping centres will remain strong and they have evolved to become more community centres.
“There’s things that you’re going to need to get there and the mall landlords have been smart enough to put those things in their centres to give people more reasons to go there. I think shopping malls are going to become a lot more convenience space. You might see some new things popping up like maybe more medical services in malls,” he said.
“You might see more medical, more grocery, more fitness, service. Massage therapy. Nail salons. Just different things. Even, I heard about a mall putting a library in. They want people coming there. It’s all about footfall and from a consumer standpoint it’s all about efficiency and convenience. Malls will be doing well and if they add more of that stuff and more food and beverage, customers are just going to have more and more reasons to go there.”
CF Toronto Eaton Centre (Image: Dustin Fuhs)
The CBRE report said retailers are consolidating their locations, most notably in the fashion segment. Retailers continue to consolidate store networks as leases expire, however their overall footprint is likely to remain stable as they will still expand stores in profitable locations.
“On the other side of the coin, traditional online-only retailers have been gravitating towards having a physical presence to differentiate themselves. These locations are proving to be more successful than online since consumers have the opportunity to experience the brand,” said the report.
“Cannabis saw a rise in leasing activity during the depths of COVID as more landlords took on these tenancies in order to fill vacant space. The market has since become oversaturated in some markets, primarily on urban streetfronts. It is likely that we will see this market thin out through mergers and acquisitions, reducing the number of competitors in the year ahead.”
The report also said that social and environmentally conscious consumers will increasingly look to support brands that align with values aimed at sustainability in the year ahead. The 2021 EY Future Consumer Index Survey found that sustainability is quickly climbing to the top of consumer priorities, with 61 per cent of shoppers planning to pay more attention to the environmental impact of what they consume.
“Companies have announced ambitious targets in recent years aimed at a more sustainable future. Global furniture supplier IKEA has a goal of using 100% renewable energy by 2030. The retailer also offers electronic vehicle charging at most of their stores and, among other practices like low-waste sorting stations in food courts, is something many retail landlords have been integrating into their sites,” said the report.
“As retailers make bolder commitments to reducing their carbon footprint, this will impact store concept design and lead to the inclusion of green clauses in leases, which is already starting to be seen most predominantly through requesting of sustainable waste services.”
Mobile Klinik, a leader in professional smartphone and tablet repair, refurbishment and resale, has launched a new brand campaign to showcase its new look and feel and revitalized in-store experience.
The retailer continued to grow its footprint even during the pandemic of the past two years and Tim McGuire, the company’s CEO, said it added 22 stores in 2020 and 20 new stores in 2021, with a total store count now of 121 across Canada.
“We’re continuing to plan to build out to somewhere in the 200 to 250 in the next few years,” he said. “Opening new stores virtually every month and then recently we’ve been doing a major retrofit on our existing store base to the new brand and the new concept.
Mobile Klinik Cambridge (Image: Mobile Klinik)
Tim McGuire
“We’ve got lots more expansion to go. We won’t stop until every Canadian has access to a Mobile Klinik store and knows exactly what we’re all about. We need them to know we’re a lot more than repair.”
McGuire said that throughout the pandemic it’s become even more important for Canadians to be able to stay connected.
“We’re not all in offices. We’re not all in our workplaces. We’re working from home. We’re going to school from home and so on. So keeping your devices functioning well is even more important than it was before,” he said.
“We’ve dramatically expanded the services we provide. We started out as a pure repair company. If your phone wasn’t broken, you didn’t need to come to us. We’ve realized that Canadians need a low-cost, high-quality provider of all the services they need to keep them connected and to do so at great value in order to keep things going forward.
Mobile Klinik Cambridge (Image: Mobile Klinik)
“So we’ve expanded our program from primarily repair to now we are Canada’s largest buyer and seller of used devices and we have a number of different protection plans and products to help you keep your device from breaking so you don’t need us to fix it. We’ve opened a central refurbishment facility. We have rapidly moved to become the full-service, everything for your phone shop and that’s what the buy, sell, connect is all about. If you want to buy a newer phone but you don’t want to spend the $2,000 for the latest and greatest from a manufacturer, we can get you last year’s model at substantially lower costs and you’ll never know the difference.”
McGuire said the retailer’s goal is to create a lower cost, far more sustainable system for Canadians to have access to phones, tablets and computers as it moves ahead.
“If you go back three or four years ago, we didn’t even sell used phones and now that’s one of the largest portions of our overall business. That’s an important expansion to it,” he said.
“The other thing is if you need a new wireless plan for your phone we can give you great value on a wireless plan but it ties directly to our overall sustainability position. So if you buy a used phone and activate it on one of our plans we’ll give you $100 off the cost of the phone. If you repair a phone and keep it out of the landfill and activate on a plan, we’ll give you $100 off the cost of the repair. And for anyone who activates a plan with us, because we are so tied to extending the life of devices and keeping them out of the landfill, we’ll give you a $5 a month sustainability credit as long as you have your phone.”
Mobile Klinik Cambridge (Image: Mobile Klinik)
McGuire said Mobile Klinik has reimagined and evolved the in-store experience at more than 40 cross-country store locations. The revamped stores provide a more modern and welcoming environment that accurately reflects the innovative and forward-thinking brand, while addressing increasing consumer demands for affordable and sustainable ways to buy, sell, repair and connect mobile devices.
“This rebrand asserts our position as the market leader in the mobile device care and aftermarket category, and our company’s commitment to offering Canadians the most sustainable and affordable phone options,” said McGuire. “A survey we commissioned with Angus Reid last year found that despite 41 per cent of Canadians considering certified pre-owned devices and 76 per cent considering repair, more than three quarters still chose to purchase a new phone in the last three years.”
McGuire said more than half of the stores have been converted and within the next several weeks the rest will be converted.
“We’re renovating about five stores a week to the new concept. This new store design, while not taking anything away from repair, which is still the life blood and the heritage of our company, puts substantially more emphasis on Mobile Klinik’s ability to buy and sell used phones and to activate plans for those phones,” he added.
“So instead of the we’re just there if you need a repair, it’s more the one-stop shop, the everything for your phone is the way we’ve talked about it. That’s why you’ll also see a major marketing campaign . . . the tag line there is ‘that’s why we’re here’. So whatever happens to your phone, whatever you need, whether it’s a repair, whether it’s a replacement, whether it’s accessories, whether it’s a connection, that’s why we’re here.”
Retail Insider is streamlining its Canadian retail news from around the web to include a handful of top news stories that can be viewed quickly during the day. Here are the top stories from since last Thursday.
Ecologyst at 552 Johnson Street in Victoria, BC (Image: Emma Rossum)
Unlike most clothing brands, Victoria-based retailer Ecologyst makes its own products.
Rene Gauthier
Rene Gauthier, Founder and CEO of the retail brand, said the company wants to eventually expand the concept to other cities in North America.
“Our plan to do that is to bring this manufacturer-to-consumer model to other parts of North America. So when we open up a location somewhere else it will also have a factory within it. It would be the warehouse distribution centre for ecommerce orders but also be a place where our guests, our customers, can come and visit and shop,” said Gauthier.
Ecologyst was founded in 2019 and has three locations – one in Whistler and two in Victoria. One of the Victoria locations is a normal store front and the other is its factory warehouse office space that also has a showroom component to it.
“We’re a clothing brand. A few things are unique about us. We’re a manufacturer-to-consumer business model. Unlike a lot of clothing brands, we actually make the clothing,” said Gauthier. “That’s a key differentiator.
Ecologyst at 552 Johnson Street in Victoria, BC (Image: Emma Rossum)
“Another is that most clothing these days is made out of plastic. So petroleum-based fibres like polyester and nylons and so forth. We only use natural fibres for our fabrics.
“We also ensure that we pay a decent family living wage to our team members and we do offer some programs kind of around quality and longevity. We have a repairs for life program and also what we call a second life program where our customers if they aren’t using their garment they can resell it through us.”
Gauthier said the retailer recently opened a new location in Victoria which moved from the previous location on Government Street to Johnson Street.
“But I think what would be considered more of a flagship location would be our factory location that’s kind of an experience where people get to see the products being made in front of them,” said Gauthier.
Ecologyst at 552 Johnson Street in Victoria, BC (Image: Emma Rossum)
Ecologyst at 552 Johnson Street in Victoria, BC (Image: Emma Rossum)
Ecologyst at 552 Johnson Street in Victoria, BC (Image: Emma Rossum)
Gauthier has been in the clothing industry for about 20 years. He previously had another clothing company that followed the model that exists in the industry today. The majority of the products were made overseas, primarily out of China.
“After 15 years of doing things that way and turning a blind eye to some of the nastiness in our business, I sort of said enough’s enough and there’s got to be a better way to do this. That’s when I came up with the concept of Ecologyst,” explained Gauthier.
The retailer has a strong vision when it comes to sustainability.
“We believe in owning fewer, better made apparel pieces that last forever. Why? Fewer, better plays a mighty role in conservation. It saves you money. It supports local manufacturing. It’s for Nature, and it’s guaranteed for life,” it states on its website.
Ecologyst at 552 Johnson Street in Victoria, BC (Image: Emma Rossum)
Ecologyst at 552 Johnson Street in Victoria, BC (Image: Emma Rossum)
“We’re building the world’s most sustainable apparel company. We make all our apparel in Canada and the US, supporting local jobs, and building the highest quality product. We don’t use synthetic materials like polyester, acrylic, or nylon that are made from petroleum and create microplastics. Instead, we use all-natural, biodegradable materials like Organic Cotton and Merino Wool to respect the environment and maximize durability.
“We are unashamedly For Nature, so whether you use our apparel for the exploration of Nature, or to contribute to Nature’s well-being, you’re supporting a sustainable future.”
The historic and revitalized Lower Johnson Street area in Victoria filled with historic buildings and alleyways that connect the neighbourhood to Canada’s oldest Chinatown. Known as LoJo, the trendy area is described as a picture-perfect street that is home to many quaint, local, artisan shops and boutiques, says Ecologyst.
Retail innovation and pop-up house BRIKA, based in Toronto, has been acquired by SALT XC, a leading experiential commerce agency, and the two agencies will leverage their combined strength to bring brands across North America an innovative new approach to retail marketing and consumer experiences.
“BRIKA joining the SALT XC family is a perfect combination for brands looking for the most unique and effective ways to connect directly with consumers in this reshaped retail world we find ourselves in,” said BRIKA founder Jen Lee Koss. “BRIKA and SALT XC have already built a strong presence in the U.S. and Canada, and our combined strength will give brands across North America the next-level tools to bring consumers into their orbit.
“The kinds of consumer experiences we deliver are no longer a ‘nice-to-have’ for brands, they are now essential parts of any engagement strategy,” added Koss, who will remain an active partner to help continue to drive growth at BRIKA.
BRIKA was founded in 2012.
Image: BRIKA
BRIKA x SALT XC
BRIKA x SALT XC
“We are a retail agency and we work with on the one side property developers and on the other side brands creating experiential retail environments and we’ve really been doing that over the past 10 years. We made some pivots along the way but we started as an online marketplace working with these brands and then we started at the same time doing pop ups in real life environments and soon realized the omni-channel world was here to stay. I think we never gave up on a real life environment despite the fact there’s so much ecommerce growth out there,” said Koss.
“No one’s going to stop shopping in a store or in a store environment. I think we’re really doubled down on that and continue to believe in that. It’s been exciting to see. We were doing things maybe at a time where it may not have been so common, pop ups at the time, back 10 years ago. We started to sort of create a space and pioneer what that meant to do that for brands and then to do it also for property developers.”
Koss said one of the first property owners BRIKA worked with was Oxford Properties in Yorkdale Shopping Centre. The company also worked with The Bay to create its first pop up.
Jeff Rogers
Since 2012, BRIKA has established itself as a key player across the retail landscape in North America executing over 100 pop-up locations for major property developers and direct-to-consumer brands across the US and Canada. Current executions have included Toronto; Aspen, Colorado; Hudson Valley, NY and Bentonville, Arkansas. BRIKA consults on retail innovation, curates themed collections for brands, and develops branded product lines and white-labeled shop concepts. They are known for incorporating and partnering with local vendors and multi-national brands in unique curated environments.
“Bringing our two companies together creates a powerhouse between us, delivering unparalleled offerings in new forms of experiential commerce,” said Jeff Rogers, President of SALT XC. “As brands continue to grow rapidly online, they are also realizing the critical need to connect with consumers in the real world as well. Our branded BRIKA locations, combined with brand specific pop-ups, will allow for reduced cost and risk for brand owners to round out their omnichannel efforts.”
Jennifer Lee Koss
Established just over two years ago, SALT XC has pioneered the concept of experiential commerce – a unique data driven framework for designing memorable moments that earn attention and drive action – delivering results for the likes of ABI, RBC, Xbox, Kraft-Heinz, Coca-Cola and Pointsbet. With offices in Toronto, Chicago and LA, the company is poised for significant new growth on both sides of the border.
Koss said SALT XC is an agency she has gotten to know over time. Two years ago, she met the people who were spearheading the agency.
“In that conversation and in subsequent conversations, I think we really understood that we would make a great match. They really believed in this idea of experiential commerce. Their backgrounds were at Mosaic which was one of the world’s largest marketing agencies,” said Koss. “They had said they wanted to build a new agency again from scratch.
“Fast forward two years later, they have 150 plus employees. Their brand roster includes Microsoft, Xbox and RBC, Labatts. I think they have really built something formidable already and I love the idea of what they were saying which is how do you really capture a brand’s attention by allowing these brands to do experiential but also have commerce attached to it.
“Because we’ve been operating retail environments from soup to nuts, we have that experience and we have that experience doing it as more of a boutique agency. They basically acquired our entire company including some of our staff and they are keeping the brand, which is fantastic. We believe it’s a great brand and we are sort of growing off the back of something that is like a rocket ship. It’s kind of an exciting time to be doing things in the experiential commerce space or in the real life retail environment.”
The fourth T&T Supermarkets store coming to Calgary in December 2022. (CNW Group/Loblaw Companies Limited)
T&T Supermarkets is continuing its aggressive expansion across the country with plans to open two new stores in Western Canada over the next year.
The new stores will be located in the Sage Hill northwest neighbourhood in Calgary – the fourth store in the Alberta city – and in Coquitlam.
They follow recent announcements of the opening of new locations in Toronto at CF Fairview Mall and the brand’s first store in Montreal.
And there’s more to come.
The new Coquitlam store is expected to open in late 2022 (CNW Group/Loblaw Companies Limited)
T&T Supermarket CEO, Tina Lee.
“T&T stores have increasingly become a community gathering place, where customers go to get out of the house, enjoy the shopping experience, and bump into old friends,” said Tina Lee, CEO of T&T Supermarkets, the largest Asian supermarket chain in the country, and under the Loblaw Companies umbrella.
“We are excited to bring this experience to the local community in northwest Calgary, with our Sage Hill location, as well as the growing communities of Lougheed, Burquitlam, and the students of Simon Fraser University with our new Coquitlam location.”
Lee said the two new stores will bring its total count to 33 locations across Canada.
“We’re having a lot of fun and we’re really confident in our store model and the impact we can make to a new community. The total of four (new stores) coming together is really exciting and it’s a really great pace for us,” said Lee.
T&T Supermarkets coming to CF Fairview Mall in Winter 2022 (CNW Group/Cadillac Fairview Corporation Limited)
Are there more to come?
“I hope so. I certainly hope so. I want to invite landlords, real estate developers to keep T&T in mind as they build out their portfolios,” she said.
The new stores are typical footprints for the brand at more than 40,000 square feet with the exception of the Montreal store which is 70,000 square feet.
“What’s interesting about (the expansion) is that there’s four stores and one in each province,” said Lee.
The new Calgary store at 10 Sage Hill Plaza will open in December while the Coquitlam store, located at the intersection of Lougheed and King Edward at 1085 Woolridge Street, is also expected to open in late 2022 and will be the second location serving the local community.
“Sage Hill is in northwest Calgary and our next closest store is in Harvest Hills and we can just tell from talking to our customers that northwest Calgary has got a lot of new development, a lot of new homes, really good schools and over the past five years I’d say we’ve seen a lot of residents move into that part of town,” said Lee. “We just had a lot of customer requests and so we finally found a site and it’s reflective of the community that lives there.
T&T Supermarket at Willowbrook Shopping Centre
“Coquitlam is nestled between an IKEA and a McDonald’s. The exact address of Woolridge is not a very familiar street name but it’s basically on the corner of Lougheed Highway and King Edward. Most people in the community know where IKEA is and we really like that location because it’s close to Lougheed mall. There’s wonderful access for the Burquitlam community and also we’re much closer to the students at Simon Fraser University and we know that there’s a lot of residents in that community that have to drive more than 15-20 minutes to get to our store in North Coquitlam or the next closest store is Metrotown. It’s a really dense community with a lot of development in and around Lougheed that now we’re finally able to better service with this location.”
Robert Sawyer, Chief Operating Officer, Loblaw Companies Limited, said the opening of four new T&T locations over the next year is a testament to T&T’s thriving business, as Canadians embrace new flavours and trends, while also seeking the traditional foods and comforts of home.
“We’re proud of the T&T Supermarkets team for what they’ve been able to accomplish and look forward to supporting the business’ growth in the future,” he said.
T&T Supermarkets has stores in British Columbia, Alberta, and Ontario. It offers customers a selection of Asian products including a wide variety of fresh produce, meat, seafood, grocery items, daily baked breads, and ready-to-eat meals.
It was founded in Vancouver in 1993 and is now led by second generation successor and CEO, Lee. T&T Supermarkets is headquartered in Richmond, BC, with offices in Toronto.
With the 2022 Paralympic Games taking place in Beijing, the conversation around building a more inclusive community has taken to the streets.
Or in this case, the parking lots.
The Symbol of Access, a wheelchair symbol that was introduced in 1968, has limited the representation of the more than 6 million Canadians living with disabilities to an individual in a wheelchair.
International sporting goods retailer Decathlon has introduced Ability Signs, a set of icons that utilize sporting activities as a way to promote the abilities rather than the disabilities.
Ability Signs (Image: Decathlon)
Jaylone Lee
“As soon as we shared Ability Signs with our networks, they took off,” says Jaylone Lee, Chief Marketing & Communications Officer, Decathlon Canada.
“The idea resonated with people. We received requests from organizations for installations, and we heard from customers who had suggestions for additional icons. That was our cue to continue sharing and spreading the Ability Signs.”
The icons are available under a Creative Commons license, which will allow anyone to use them, free of rights.
Decathlon Canada has introduced the icons to their stores across Canada, in addition to encouraging organizations across the country to download and install the signs.
Toronto-based local market retailer GoodGood has opened the brand’s first purpose-built location.
Located at 140A The Esplanade in the St. Lawrence Market neighbourhood, the 1,800 square foot store was an opportunity to expand the concept from a pop-up into a full-scale build out.
“We had the St. Lawrence Market area circled on our expansion map and knew that we wanted to be here,” shared Co-Founder Kris Linney. “When the space became available, we put in an aggressive offer right away. With this being our first location, it’s fitting to have the iconic St. Lawerence Market, a lifeline to supporting merchants and artisans – and the ability to be around that – with the amazing meats and fresh produce. We’re just hoping that folks will come this way for snacks and other local products.”
Jackson Turner of CBRE negotiated the deal on behalf of GoodGood and he’s working with the brand on its further expansion.
GoodGood Esplanade (Image: GoodGood)
Kris Linney
GoodGood started with a pop-up on King Street West, which opened in December 2021. When asked about the future of the King West location, Linney shared that the location is signed for a few more months and then the brand will have an opportunity to make a decision on a new location in the neighbourhood.
“The pop-up has done exceptionally well for our expectations, so the opportunity to bring those lessons and analysis into this location – it’s made our customer experience better for sure.”
The Esplanade GoodGood has an outdoor patio with seating indoors, helping with the customers who are looking for a spot to do work and others who are looking for a cafe experience to meet with friends and colleagues.
“The differences between the pop-up store and the Esplanade location can be seen in the physical elements of the layout. With the addition of beer & wine, we are able to create an environment that will attract locals and tourists while having the emphasis on local suppliers. The beer is all from the GTA, including local brands like Left Field, Kensington, Fairweather. Any beer in the GTA that you could imagine – we’ve got it on the list.”
With a part-cafe, part-wine bar with an additional flavour of local snacks and a delivery program, GoodGood Esplanade is going to rival the St. Lawrence Market and other big-name chains (Shoppers Drug Mart, Loblaws, Metro) in the neighbourhood.
“We’ve designed the GoodGood format to be a local market, which is focusing on being inviting and welcoming to the neighbourhood. Being a part of every neighbourhood that we open in is incredibly important,” shared Linney.
“The nice thing with the local market is that we’re able to source products that could include everything from chefs that may have had challenges during the pandemic and wanted to continue their passion or just people who had side hustles and wanted to turn it into their full-time career path. We’ve seen a great emergence of it and it’s been super cool to support it.”
The brand will be opening multiple stores over the next two months, including St Clair and Dufferin (1187 St. Clair West) in March, Queen Street West (709 Queen St West) at the end of the month, and Yonge & Davisville (1909 Yonge Street) opening mid-April.
“The buildouts for all the locations will be similar, yet unique. For example, the midtown location will have two-floors. Each will have characteristics of the local neighbourhood.”
In addition to the in-store experience with competitive drink pricing and a future loyalty app, the brand is focusing on the trend of most food service businesses.
“Delivery is also big part of our business model, with everything in the store able to be delivered in 60-minutes or less. Our average delivery time is around 32 minutes, depending on the weather and other factors.”
GoodGood has built in systems to continuously source new and interesting local brands, for both snacks and drinks, but the easiest way is to tag the brand on social media.
GoodGood Esplanade (Image: Dustin Fuhs)
“We have a great roast from Jonathan Tavares and Propeller Coffee, which is a great collaboration. A portion of sales go back to supporting The Jonathan Tavares Foundation.”
The locations also have partnerships with local brands that include Come Back Snacks, City Seltzer Sparking Water and General Assembly Pizza, a local premium, frozen pizza—naturally leavened and ready in just 7 minutes.
“About 75% of the sku’s are from Canada. The rest of the international products are typically unique stuff that you wouldn’t find here or there isn’t a replacement for. Every location will have a different sku count, which adds a level of complexity to the business.”
The locations are open from 8am til 6pm, Monday through Sunday.
“This neighbourhood has such a strong tradition of supporting local, and this being our first real location for us is very exciting.”
A unique, first-of-its-kind chef-driven food hall is being launched in a Calgary office complex located in the Beltline, just outside the city’s downtown core.
The District at Beltline, which is about 5,600 square feet, will have six different eateries and seating for about 100 people.
It is part of a larger-scale redevelopment project to revitalize the former IBM Corporate Park four-storey office building, located at 227 11th Avenue SW, off of 2nd Street SW.
John Moss
“In mixed developments, main floor retail is typically established to amenitize the overarching development. In this case, we didn’t just look at our retail as a service to the surrounding office buildings but as a service to the whole community,” said John Moss, Senior Vice President at CBRE Limited, the leasing management group responsible for The District.
“The District’s one-of-a-kind approach considers the office tenants but also brings a central community hub and entertainment district to the Beltline that will support both daytime and evening patronage.
“We talk about food courts, we talk about food halls but there’s never been an execution where you’ve had top-listed chefs ranked in Calgary or in Canada for that matter.”
Image: The District at Beltline
Image: The District at Beltline
Image: The District at Beltline
Moss said The District food hall has been designed as a culinary gathering place to facilitate memorable social experiences in a setting that invites guests to stay awhile and foster community connection. The interior look is defined by distinct wall paneling in rich navy tones and brightly-coloured abstract murals that create a seamless day-to-night atmosphere throughout the space. An ambiance of fun sophistication has also been carefully curated to cater to a variety of demographics while providing a chic and cohesive backdrop that highlights the chef-driven dining concepts.
The District will also include a boutique brewing concept and tasting room by 33 Acres Brewery, a new restaurant and bar from the founders of CRAFT Beer Market, a Mediterranean eatery from chef Kenny Kaechele, and a second concept from Adam Ryan – all of which are set to open in the coming months. Deville Coffee has also set up shop at The District, opening a new cafe adjacent to the food hall off of 12th Avenue SW.
The District building is owned by Spear Street Capital of San Francisco.
“When you typically look at mixed-use development, especially in the downtown or Beltline area, the majority of the time the retail is more just an amenity for the office tenants,” said Moss. “That’s really what it is. But when I came in I said you have a rare opportunity to amenitize this for the community in addition to the office tenants because of its proximity to residential, proximity to downtown, proximity to office tenants in the Beltline.
Image: The District at Beltline
Image: The District at Beltline
Image: The District at Beltline
“I’ve worked on a lot of urban developments and I’m very proud of what we’ve been able to achieve here.”
Moss said the area around The District is also developing into a more entertainment hub and lifestyle centre in the area with additional establishments opening up.
The following six chef-driven concepts will operate at The District at Beltlinel:
Takori, Chef Duncan Ly. Takori is an Asian fusion taqueria serving Asian-inspired tacos and burritos and other fusion fare. Takori’s concept is innovative because it combines Mexican cuisine with Asian flavours. Ly is the chef/owner of Foreign Concept, Concept Catering, Greenfish Sushi (in partnership with Chef Darren MacLean) and Takori;
Greenfish, Chef Darren MacLean (in partnership with Chef Duncan Ly). Greenfish is the first fully sustainable quick service sushi restaurant in Canada and only uses fish approved by Monterrey Bay Seafood Watch and Oceanwise to ensure no species that are endangered or are harmful to the environment are on the menu. Half of the menu is also plant-based and uses fresh ingredients. Award-winning Chef MacLean is the chef/owner of Shokunin (ranked in Canada’s 50 best restaurants six years in a row), Nupo, EIGHT and Greenfish Sushi (in partnership with Chef Duncan Ly). He was Canada’s sole contender and a finalist on Netflix’s global cooking competition, ‘The Final Table’;
Oishidesu Ramen Shack, Arce Morales. Inspired by his travels to Japan, Arce Morales fell in love with Japanese cuisine and was inspired to create Oishidesu Ramen Shack. Ramen shacks can be found everywhere throughout Japan and are a popular, quick comfort food that Arce is excited to share with Calgarians. Morales is also the owner of Mom’s Happy Kitchen;
Roy’s Korean Kitchen, Chef Roy Oh. Roy’s Korean Kitchen will be serving Korean comfort food with a Canadian twist. Guests are invited to try Korean food from a unique point of view. Oh was born and raised in Edmonton and grew up eating burgers, pizza and nachos alongside kimchi stew, raw marinated crab and Korean BBQ. His combined experiences have inspired him to take diners on an exciting culinary adventure with this latest chef-driven concept. Oh conceptualized celebrated Calgary restaurant Anju;
Shrub Bloom, Chef Adam Ryan. Ryan believes that vegetarian food doesn’t have to be bland or boring. Shrub Bloom takes familiar ideas and concepts that people eat regularly and puts a unique spin on it so all preconceived bias about vegetarian food can be thrown out the window. Shrub Bloom serves vegetable forward food with a focus on sustainable, Canadian, and unique producers. Ryan is the co-owner/chef of Shrub Bloom and two other soon-to-open concepts: Milpa, and Fire and Flora. Fire and Flora will also be opening at The District in the coming months. Ryan was previously head chef at The Coup;
Modern Burger, Stephen Deere of Modern Steak. The award-winning Modern Steak opened in 2014. From the start, this included aspirations of creating a local, chef-driven burger concept as a spin-off of the restaurant, which has now come to fruition with Modern Burger. Modern Burger only serves ranch specific Alberta Beef.
