Since Zellers returned to the Canadian retail landscape, two requests have surfaced repeatedly from customers: bring back the diner and bring back the kiddie rides.
As the retailer prepares to open its new standalone Toronto store at 80 Orfus Road on Thursday June 18, both are making a comeback in new forms as the company continues to refine a retail concept shaped by customer feedback and positioned for expansion across Canada.
The 25,000-square-foot location will feature a new Zellers Diner on Wheels serving diner-inspired favourites, a kiddie ride reminiscent of those found in legacy Zellers stores, complimentary Zellers Ice Pops, collectible giveaways and a 25-foot inflatable Zeddy Bear outside the building.
According to Zellers Chief Operating Officer Joey Benitah, customer feedback continues to play an important role in shaping the evolution of the retailer’s standalone-store concept.
“We’ve always said we’ll be listening closely and adapting quickly, and that’s exactly what we’re doing,” he said in an exclusive interview with Retail Insider.
The Diner Returns in a New Form
Among the most frequently discussed aspects of the Zellers brand has been the fate of its iconic diner.
The in-store restaurants became a memorable part of family shopping trips for generations of Canadians. Long after the original Zellers chain disappeared, consumers continued to discuss favourite menu items and speculate about whether the diner experience might one day return. Similar conversations resurfaced when Hudson’s Bay reintroduced Zellers through its shop-in-shop concept in 2023.
Benitah said discussion about the diner has remained remarkably consistent throughout the brand’s revival, reflecting the lasting connection many Canadians still have with the restaurant experience.
“The diner has come up quite frequently,” he said.
While Zellers is not currently planning to introduce permanent restaurants, the company is launching a mobile diner concept that will debut during the Toronto opening before travelling to future store openings across Canada.
The Zellers Diner on Wheels will serve menu items inspired by the retailer’s restaurant heritage, including the Big Z Burger, Hot Gravy Chicken Sandwich, Chicken Fingers, Grilled Cheese, and Gravy and Fries.
Benitah said the company’s focus remains on building a sustainable retail concept centred on its core merchandise categories, though he acknowledged that future possibilities remain open.
“In terms of a full-fledged diner, not the focus right now, but you never know in the future,” he said.
The food truck will operate throughout the opening weekend and is expected to become a regular feature at future store launches. Toronto is the first of two standalone Ontario openings announced by the retailer, with a location at Tecumseh Mall in Windsor expected to open later this summer. The Diner on Wheels is also expected to appear at future store openings.
Bringing Back Family Experiences
The diner is not the only familiar experience returning.
The Toronto store will also feature a new kiddie ride, reviving a tradition that many Canadians remember from visits to Zellers stores decades ago. The ride, a red sports car with side-by-side seating, is the first in what the company says will be a broader rollout of kiddie rides across future locations.
Benitah said the rides are intended to bring back a small piece of the family-oriented shopping experience that many customers remember.
“I think it’s going to be tons of fun and bring back that little hit of nostalgia,” he said.
Outside the Toronto store, customers will be greeted by a 25-foot inflatable Zeddy Bear, creating a highly visible landmark ahead of opening day and serving as a tribute to one of Canada’s most recognizable retail mascots.
The opening celebrations will also include complimentary Zellers Ice Pops, water bottles and collectible giveaways while supplies last, including exclusive Zeddy keychains for the first customers through the doors.
Together, the activations represent an effort to reconnect shoppers with some of the experiences that helped define the Zellers brand while introducing younger consumers to a retailer that many know only through stories from parents and grandparents.
Customer Feedback Continues to Shape Zellers 3.0
The return of diner-inspired food and kiddie rides may be the most visible examples of customer feedback shaping the business, but they are far from the only ones.
Benitah said the company continues to adjust merchandise categories, brand partnerships and in-store experiences based on customer response.
One example is the toy category.
When the standalone concept was first being developed, Zellers was cautious about devoting significant space to toys because of the intense competition within the sector. Customer behaviour at the retailer’s first standalone location in Edmonton quickly changed that thinking.
“Toys was something that we weren’t so committed to initially, and we were hesitant because it’s a very challenging, very competitive space,” Benitah said. “But the small selection of toys that we did offer at Londonderry were among our top sellers.”
The success of the category has encouraged the company to expand its toy assortment moving forward.
The Toronto location will also introduce additional brands and licensed merchandise, including Adidas apparel alongside existing offerings from Reebok and Spyder. Products featuring Marvel, Disney and Nickelodeon properties will also play a larger role in the assortment.
Benitah said the retailer continues to evaluate new brands and licensing partnerships while closely monitoring customer response.
Edmonton Success Provides Confidence for Expansion
The Toronto opening follows the launch of Zellers’ first standalone location at Londonderry Mall in Edmonton in October 2025.
According to Benitah, customer response at the Alberta location has resulted in strong sales since opening.
“Customer enthusiasm has exceeded expectations,” he said.
The success of the Edmonton store appears to be validating the standalone strategy that emerged after Les Ailes de la Mode acquired the Zellers intellectual property in 2025. The location has provided management with valuable insight into customer behaviour, merchandise performance and store operations as the concept continues to evolve.
The store’s performance has also provided confidence for future growth, with Benitah indicating that additional opportunities are already being explored within the Edmonton market.
Expansion Plans Stretch Across Canada
While Toronto and Windsor represent the retailer’s first standalone locations in Ontario, they are only part of a much broader expansion strategy.
Benitah said additional stores are expected to open later this year, while multiple future locations are already confirmed for 2027 and beyond.
“We’re really looking to be truly coast to coast in every major market,” he said.
The company is currently pursuing opportunities across Canada, including discussions involving former Hudson’s Bay locations and redevelopment projects that may create space for future Zellers stores.
Former Hudson’s Bay locations represent one potential avenue for growth as landlords continue evaluating options for large-format department store spaces.
“There are a handful of vacant HBC boxes that in some cases we’re talking to landlords about taking over,” Benitah said.
In other situations, the retailer is exploring opportunities within redevelopment plans that could see former department store spaces subdivided into multiple retail units.
At the same time, the company continues to experiment with store formats as it searches for the most sustainable long-term model.
The new Toronto location spans approximately 25,000 square feet, a size Benitah describes as a smaller-format department store. Future stores may vary as the company continues refining the concept.
“We don’t know yet what that sweet spot is, and that’s exactly what we’re working to figure out,” he said.
While the company has not established a formal store-count target, Benitah believes the long-term opportunity remains significant.
“The ceiling is very high,” he said. “It could be well over 100 stores.”
For now, the company remains focused on measured growth while continuing to adapt the concept based on customer demand.
As Zellers prepares to open its newest standalone store, the company’s next chapter is being shaped by a combination of customer memories and customer feedback. The return of diner-inspired food, kiddie rides and Zeddy suggests that some of the experiences Canadians remember most fondly still have a place in the retailer’s future.
