Toronto’s Union Station is seeing an ongoing transformation that will make the transit hub into a destination for retail and foodservice businesses. The latest tenant to be announced is a restaurant concept called The Queenston which will open next year in Union Station’s Bay Street Promenade.
The Queenston is a collaborative team effort between entrepreneur Yannick Bigourdan and his partners at Open Concept Hospitality, Adam Teolis, Mike Angeloni and Dan Kennedy. Bigourdan is also responsible for several other restaurants and concepts in the city including Union Chicken, Amano, The Carbon Bar and Chefdrop.
The Queenston concept is described as something of a ‘station bar’ that will cater to visitors to Union Station whether they are commuting or attending an event such as a sports game in one of the nearby entertainment facilities.
Drawing inspiration from the Art Deco movement of the roaring twenties, the Queenston’s design will celebrate the history of Union Station with its Beaux-Arts architecture and use of Canadian Queenston Limestone. Once completed, the Queenston will serve as a place of modern nostalgia and memorable social gatherings where guests will define their own dining experiences.
“We are very excited to open The Queenston in the heart of Toronto, where people can dine or enjoy a cocktail, a beer while visiting Union Station.” said Bigourdan in an exclusive statement to Retail Insider. “This is a very important project for our Team, and we are very excited to welcome you and your guests in the future.”
Bigourdan went on to provide further information on The Queenston, saying “Our Partner and Executive Chef, Michael Angeloni is working diligently with his Team to offer you an amazing food program.”
The Queenston will span about 10,000 square feet in the Bay Street Promenade section of Union Station, just outside the doors to Scotiabank Arena, which will also become home to several other retail and food concepts. Retail Insider announced last month that beauty brand Sephora would also be opening in the Bay Street Promenade in Union Station, and other tenants are either negotiating leases or are preparing to make opening announcements as well.
Union Station is Canada’s busiest transit hub and it is seeing an incredible overhaul that includes a repositioning and redevelopment of its retail component which will expand to a footprint of about 170,000 square feet. The mix of retail, food and service tenants will make Union Station a draw for locals and visitors in a unique heritage building in the heart of the city. There hasn’t been a more significant retail development in downtown Toronto since CF Toronto Eaton Centre opened nearly 45 years ago.
Toronto based Beauleigh Retail Consultants and Osmington have been working together through the creative process to conceptualize and implement the retail vision for Union Station.
Over the past decade Beauleigh has strategized and handled the leasing at the property, creating a unique mix of retail and food tenants that aim to reflect Toronto’s diversity as a city. That includes a new food-focused market with a wide range of unique tenants.
Beauleigh says that the majority of the retail footprint at Union Station has been leased with committed tenants while some spaces remain available for lease.
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- Special Edition 25: Marcelle Rademeyer of Beauleigh Retail Consultants Discusses the Future of Experiential Retail
- Sephora to Open Store as Part of Toronto’s Union Station Retail Transformation [Exclusive]
Additional Images from The Queenston at Union Station
