An ambitious experiment in experiential grocery retail is coming to an end in Alberta. L’OCA Quality Market will close its two Edmonton-area stores on March 12, 2026, less than two years after launching its flagship location in Sherwood Park.
The concept attracted national attention for its theatrical, culinary-focused approach to food retailing, blending a premium grocery store with full-service dining and artisanal production. However, sources familiar with the business told Retail Insider that the operation has been losing approximately $1 million per month, raising questions about whether the highly labour-intensive model can succeed in a challenging grocery environment defined by rising costs and price-sensitive consumers.
The shutdown will affect the company’s flagship 45,000-square-foot location in Sherwood Park as well as a second location in Edmonton’s Parkview neighbourhood. Both stores are expected to cease operations on March 12 along with the attached restaurant concepts that form a central part of the brand’s experiential strategy.
A Bold Vision to Reinvent Grocery Retail
L’OCA Quality Market launched with the goal of disrupting the conventional supermarket format. The concept was spearheaded by President Josh Thatcher, a former Whole Foods Market executive, along with partner Ben Cochrane. Major investors include members of the Priestner family, founders of the Go Auto automotive group.
From the beginning, the founders positioned L’OCA as something very different from a traditional grocery store. The brand’s philosophy centres on the idea of “doing food differently,” with an emphasis on scratch cooking, culinary theatre, and reconnecting consumers with artisanal food traditions.
The company’s name, L’OCA, translates to “The Goose” in Italian, and its branding incorporates a stylized Canada Goose as a symbol of European inspiration blended with Canadian identity. The concept borrows elements from high-end European food halls, where shopping, dining, and culinary education are integrated into a single destination.
In interviews with Retail Insider during the openings of the Sherwood Park flagship and the Edmonton Parkview location, partner Ben Cochrane described the concept as an effort to bring excitement back to grocery shopping. The intention was to create a space where customers can shop for premium ingredients, watch chefs at work, and enjoy restaurant-quality meals under the same roof.
Sherwood Park Flagship Designed as a Food Destination
The company’s first location opened on May 10, 2024, at 340 Baseline Road in Sherwood Park. The 45,000-square-foot store occupies a converted Rona building that was extensively renovated to accommodate the concept’s ambitious layout.
Rather than following a traditional supermarket floor plan, the store is organized as a culinary marketplace featuring specialized departments staffed by chefs and artisans. These include a full-service butcher shop focused on whole-animal butchery, a bakery and pâtisserie producing breads and pastries from scratch, and a specialty deli offering house-made pasta, cured meats, and a large cheese selection.
Prepared foods are also central to the concept. The L’OCA Gourmet section offers one of Canada’s largest selections of chef-prepared grab-and-go meals, designed to provide restaurant-quality food for customers seeking convenience.
The store also includes L’OCA Labs, a demonstration kitchen where chefs host cooking classes and interactive culinary experiences. These elements transform the grocery store into a destination where customers can engage with food culture rather than simply purchasing products.
Restaurants Add Experiential Dining to the Market
A defining feature of the Sherwood Park L’OCA concept is the integration of full-service restaurants within the grocery environment. Two dining concepts operate alongside the retail store.
PYRO Wood-Fired Kitchen & Bar focuses on rotisserie meats and primal cuts cooked over what the company describes as Canada’s largest indoor wood-burning grill. The restaurant emphasizes open-flame cooking and a theatrical presentation that aligns with the broader experiential theme.
ORO Trattoria offers a modern interpretation of Italian cuisine, with a menu inspired by regional dishes and traditional cooking techniques. The restaurant functions as a standalone dining destination while also complementing the grocery market’s premium positioning.
Rapid Expansion and Ambitious Growth Plans
Despite the complexity of the model, L’OCA moved quickly to expand. A second location opened on January 31, 2025, in Edmonton’s Parkview neighbourhood. The 22,000-square-foot store occupies the former Andy’s Valleyview IGA site, a community grocery store that served the area for more than 60 years. The store has neither of the restaurants found in Sherwood Park.
The Parkview location represents a smaller format but maintains the company’s emphasis on fresh food, prepared meals, and culinary production. The opening was seen as a significant milestone in L’OCA’s effort to build a regional chain of experiential grocery stores.
Plans were also underway for a third location in St. Albert. The proposed store was expected to open in 2026 and would have featured a larger format similar to the Sherwood Park flagship. However, the project has now been cancelled as part of the company’s wind-down.
During interviews with Retail Insider prior to the closure announcement, Cochrane spoke openly about the company’s intention to scale rapidly. He explained that the goal was never to operate a single boutique grocery store but rather to build a multi-unit concept that could eventually expand beyond Edmonton.
Labour and Production Costs Proved Challenging
While the concept attracted attention and industry praise, the economics of the model have proven difficult to sustain.
One of the defining features of L’OCA is its commitment to scratch production. The company employed more than 75 full-time chefs across its operations, an unusually high number for a grocery business. These chefs produce many of the products sold in the store, including pastries, prepared meals, and specialty foods.
This approach creates a unique customer experience, but it also results in significantly higher labour costs than those typically seen in grocery retail. Traditional supermarkets often rely on centralized production or semi-prepared ingredients to control costs. L’OCA instead prioritizes handcrafted food, which requires a much larger workforce.
Operational complexity also contributes to the challenge. Running a large grocery market alongside two full-service restaurants requires managing multiple business models within the same facility. Each component has its own staffing requirements, supply chains, and waste risks.
Industry observers say that this level of operational intensity can be difficult to sustain without consistently high sales volumes.
Inflation and Price Sensitivity in the Grocery Sector
The timing of L’OCA’s launch also created headwinds. The stores opened during a period of significant food inflation in Canada, which pushed many consumers toward discount grocery chains.
As grocery prices increased, shoppers increasingly sought value-oriented options. Discount banners and warehouse-style retailers gained market share as households became more cautious with food spending.
L’OCA occupies the opposite end of the spectrum. The concept targets customers interested in premium products and culinary experiences, which require discretionary spending. While the stores initially attracted strong interest from food enthusiasts, sustaining a large base of regular shoppers proved more difficult.
Sources told Retail Insider that the company has been losing approximately $1 million per month in the months leading up to the shutdown. Although the figure has not been confirmed publicly by the company, it reflects the scale of the financial pressure facing the operation.
This was so predictable. You didn’t need a crystal ball to see this coming. Shops like L’OCA basically have the slogan “pay more for less.” I’m actually proud of the Edmontonian consumer base that reject businesses like this. We cannot let businesses overcharge based on vibes, interior design and words like “quality” in the business name. Why do you think Loblaw just announced dozens of new No Frills in the pipeline vs it’s higher priced banners?
I will definitely miss their delicious bread, which I actuallly went out of my way to purchase there, but a grocery store like that cannot survive on a bakery alone. It was simply bad timing to have opened during a period of high food inflation, otherwise the concept may well have worked. Personally, I had long wanted to see an Eastern Canada-style grocery store open in the Edmonton area.
I will definitely miss their delicious bread, which I actuallly went out of my way to purchase there, but a grocery store like that cannot survive on a bakery alone. It was simply bad timing to have opened during a period of high food inflation, otherwise the concept may well have worked. Personally, I had long wanted to see an Eastern Canada-style grocery store open in the Edmonton area.
I actually had a very poor experience at this shop on 142 Street. The customer service was so poor that I never went back. One reason why they did not do well. But I would have like to see them survive because we need quality stores and concepts in Edmonton. Look at Theresa’s success with Italian Centre Shops…