Longo Brothers Fruit Markets began in 1956 as a small neighbourhood fruit market and has grown into a trusted Ontario grocery brand with 43 stores across the province, all firmly rooted in community and guided by the same values that shaped its very first store.
Founded by brothers Tommy, Joe and Gus Longo, the business was built 70 years ago on a simple promise: We only serve our Guests what we would serve to our own families. That Family Standards philosophy continues to guide everything Longo’s does today, from sourcing fresh produce and partnering with Ontario farmers to delivering a remarkable Guest experience and service in every store.
“Seventy years is an incredible milestone to achieve, and I feel very proud,” said Anthony Longo, Executive Chair of Longo’s. “It’s also an incredible achievement that our purpose has been steadfast: we are, and will always be, a values-driven business built around our Guests, Team Members, partners, and community, just as my father and uncles intended.”
Recently, Longo’s was named the #1 Grocer in Ontario in the 2026 WOW Study by Léger, based on the opinions of thousands of recent visitors to grocery stores across Ontario.
“Longo’s has grown thoughtfully over time, always with an eye toward the future and a respect for where we came from,” said Deb Craven, President of Longo’s. “As we look ahead, our focus is on continued expansion and innovation without compromising our values. Growth means nothing unless it’s grounded in trust, quality, and the strong relationships we’ve built with our Guests, Team members, and partners.”
A Year of Celebration
To mark the milestone, Longo’s is celebrating the people who have been at the heart of its success. Throughout its anniversary year, Longo’s will roll out special celebrations, including official anniversary events, new products, great deals, in-store activations, and special opportunities for its loyal Thank You Rewards members.
Longo’s is also kicking off these anniversary festivities with a contest. To celebrate the 2026 Olympic & Paralympic Games in Italy and as Official Grocer of Team Canada, Longo’s is giving back to its members. Thank You Rewards members will have the chance to win $25,000 in cash to fund a dream trip to Italy, turning once-in-a-lifetime moments into unforgettable memories. Registered Thank You Rewards members can earn one entry into the grand prize draw with every $150 spent (in a single transaction) between January 22 and February 22. Members will also have the opportunity to win 70,000 Rewards points through a daily draw throughout the month, giving them even more chances to be rewarded during this exciting event!
“When we opened our first store in 1956, we never imagined what Longo’s would become,” said Gus Longo, Co-Founder. “To see the business 70 years later, with more than 43 stores and over 26 family members still involved, it is incredibly humbling. What matters most is that we’ve stayed true to who we are: a family business serving families.”
Anthony Longo, who turns 65 this year, has grown up with the brand and worked at various jobs throughout from sweeping the floors to carrying out groceries for customers.
The business began with the vision of his father and two uncles.
“My dad was the oldest. That was 1956, so he was 22 when he started, on Yonge and Castlefield in the middle of the city of Toronto. Just a little store. I think it was about 2,000 square feet, which is smaller than most homes today in this area. And that’s where they started. It was just a produce market. Then they continued to grow from there. They were there five years, and then they went to Woodbine and Mortimer, which is considered the Beaches today. They opened a store there, and that’s where they added meat and grocery in addition to produce,” explained Longo.
“Back then, and since 1956, they delivered groceries to people’s homes. They took orders manually. My aunts and my mom would write down the orders, assemble them, and then my Uncle Joe would usually deliver the orders. So an early version of what we see today in e-commerce.”
Right after college, Longo joined the grocery store full time in 1982. From a job perspective, this is all he knew. “It was injected in my blood,” he said.
So what has been the key to the brand’s longevity?
“I think for us it’s been that we’ve been a values-based company from the beginning. My dad—they didn’t put it this way when he was 22 years old—but they lived by the model that their grandfather, their father taught them, which is honesty, trustworthiness, mutual respect. A few years ago we asked, “What is our secret sauce?” One of the words that came out was voglia. In Italian, voglia means desire—the wanting to continue to move forward, having that gut drive to keep moving and keep driving forward,” said Longo.
“I think the foundation is really around those values. From a business standpoint, my dad would always talk about freshness, quality, and service. Those were the three mantras. Having those three in the produce business and applying them across the business was really important.
“One of the things we later put words around was: don’t try to sell your customers what you wouldn’t take home yourself. That really strikes home for people in our stores during orientation. If the produce is bruised and you wouldn’t buy it, why would you keep it on the stand? Take it off, reduce it, or do whatever you have to do with it. Those are the kinds of things that created a very strong foundation for us.
“In terms of how that survives 70 years, you have to continue to evolve. They started as a little produce market, then added grocery, then meat, then a bakery. Prepared foods came into vogue in the ’80s, so we added prepared foods, salad bars, things like that. It’s really about evolving to where the consumer is going, not necessarily where they’ve been.
“That’s why it’s so important for us to be involved with different groups in the U.S., to travel through Europe. We just want to learn—how do other people do it, and what little things can we take that our customers might like? We try them out, and many times they work.”
Longo said the company is planning to open in Welland this year, which will be its first store in the Niagara region. That’s scheduled for May or June. All the company’s stores are located in southern Ontario. Have there ever been plans to go further out geographically?
“Once in a while it comes up, but the reality is there’s still so much opportunity in this marketplace. Toronto still has more opportunities. The Niagara region is fast-growing, and this will be our first store there. Hamilton—we only have one store just outside the city. Halton region, Durham region—there’s still a lot of opportunity here. We don’t need to go too far afield to continue to build the business,” added Longo.
A new era with Empire Company
In 2021, Longo’s became part of the Empire Company’s family.
“It gave us more access to resources. For example, private label—things where we didn’t have enough volume before. Empire has the volume, so they helped us connect with suppliers who could run our brand on smaller runs. For value-priced offerings, we were able to use their Compliments brand, which is great quality. We don’t carry a lot of it, but probably around a hundred lines,” said Longo.
“It’s been helpful in rounding out the shop for consumers. Empire has really been terrific in that they’ve left us to run the business on our own. We’ve continued to build the brand and the culture. We launched our Longo’s Italian line of products, which is phenomenal, and they’re carrying some of those products in their stores now. So there’s been some cross-pollination on both sides.”
Longo has seen many changes in the grocery sector over the years.
“Consumers are much more worldly now in terms of flavors and products from all over the world—different cuisines introduced over the 70 years we’ve been doing this. Technology has played a huge role. We talked earlier about delivering groceries using pencil and paper. Now people order from their phones while they’re on the subway, and their groceries come from Voilà, Uber, or Instacart,” he explained.
“Technology has changed the way consumers shop and the way retailers operate. Scanning—we’ve been scanning since the late ’80s with UPC codes. When we started in 1956, there were no UPC codes. We used ink stamps on each can. That’s how it was done back then. Lots of changes in the industry, for sure.”
Longo said the sector will continue to evolve.
“A typical store has 24,000 to 26,000 SKUs. Continuing to work through the supply chain to ensure safe, high-quality food at a price consumers see value in is really important. That challenge hasn’t changed,” he said.
“What people look for from products around the world, and the rise of buying local and supporting local entrepreneurs, is really important to us. We have hundreds of items from small manufacturers in our stores, and we want to continue supporting them when they have good quality products at reasonable value propositions.”
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- Longo’s continues to expand with new Etobicoke store and eyeing more growth (Photos)
- Longo’s opens 42nd store in Vaughan, expands with plans for Etobicoke and Niagara locations (Photos)
