Large and in charge: Mark McEwan oversees the preparations for the opening of his new grocery store (Photo by Karon Liu)
Chef Mark McEwan (North 44°, Bymark) gave us an exclusive tour of his eponymous grocery store at the Shops at Don Mills, just as the shelves were being stocked and excited employees were scanning products into the store database. The 20,000-square-foot space is predominantly occupied by counters serving charcuterie, baked goods, seafood and cheese, as well as shelves of house-made (there’s a large kitchen upstairs) sauces, pickled vegetables, soups and prepared meals made from McEwan’s restaurant recipes. There will also be a counter selling chocolates stocked by the Belgian chocolatier Galler, which McEwan discovered while vacationing in Florida a year and a half ago. The store will also be selling the chef’s new line of kitchenware.
“I visited supermarkets in Paris and Milan and noticed that they’re a lot smaller, and people would buy only what they need for the next few days,” he says, adding that he modelled his store on those ones. “It’s very different from the 100,000-square-foot supermarkets in North America where they have giant aisles of processed and prepackaged food. I think Metro and my store are at opposite ends of the spectrum.”
His biggest worry isn’t whether Torontonians will bite at the idea of a gourmet supermarket (McEwan emphasizes that the prices are competitive and his coffee is 25 per cent cheaper than Starbucks’), but rather whether the computer systems will work. “It’s going to be a month of hell. There are 3,000 items, each with a UPC code, so it’s a huge undertaking. That’s going to determine whether we open Thursday or Friday morning.”
In the end, the store opened Friday morning.
Without a doubt Mark McEwan is a talented chef. I’m glad to see and heat he is creating a grocery store with quality food and also jobs for the people.
June 19, 2009 at 9:41 am | by KimberlyKuddos!
The new store McEwan is stunning ! The product selection is fantastic.
June 19, 2009 at 9:47 am | by Beverliey NashIt is everything one would expect from Chef Mark McEwan and more
really worth the wait ! The staff could not be nicer and very helpful.
Check out his beautiful aubergine pepper mill from his new cookware line
great color, sexy shape will look great in my kitchen. Who knew shopping could be so much fun, great new spot ! DUKE
Visited McEwan’s yesterday, and I wholeheartily agree – it’s stunning and the staff for the most part was exceptionally nice and helpful. But the key thing that will bring the foodies here and away from other gourmet markets is the SPACE! You can get two carts easily down the aisles and walk pretty freely around the grocery areas, even in an opening-day crowd. The cup holders in the black carts are genius! I’m looking forward to shopping here from now on for my specialty needs (though I have to say I laughed when I saw the rack of various Wonder breads on the bakery shelf).
June 20, 2009 at 7:56 am | by Naomi MesburI went to McEwan’s yesterday on opening day and it has been well worth the wait! It is beautiful and has some amazing products! All foodies should definitely visit!
June 20, 2009 at 8:31 am | by Michelle HI read the article in the National Post on Friday and decided that I simply must see the store. Since I live in Burlington I don’t know how to get to you. Will you have a map on the internet soon?
June 20, 2009 at 12:55 pm | by Betty HryhorchukI can’t wait to visit this store!!!
June 21, 2009 at 9:16 pm | by cookwareI am not sure I agree here. The store is not that good at all. In fact it’s really.I was expecting to be transported to the Culinary Garden of Eden upon entering McEwan’s. It was the grand opening of the highly anticipated grocery at Don Mills and Lawrence, and I was excited by the prospect of new gourmet delights brought to me by a Toronto-based celebrity chef. “Gourmet food is on the rise,” I thought to myself as I chugged my iced coffee, pumping myself up for the big day. North York will be home to another much needed alternative to corporate eateries and sterile foods.
I entered the prepared food section of a bustling and modern food market and was greeted by two large LCDs listing the fresh eats of the day. I read the screens and think to myself… wouldn’t it be cool to show a tantalizing food video or a recipe demo rather than just using them as digital chalkboards? My thoughts were interrupted by the subtle sound of sensual trance music in the background. How hip? How cool? How… is that Wonder Bread? The recipe for a half-baked gourmet market is born. Read More
June 23, 2009 at 8:05 am | by Danhttp://www.culinaryseductions.com/restaurant/toronto/mcewan_toronto.php
I visited the store the first day it opened. I didn’t think that I could afford anything but a cup of coffee. I was pleasantly surprised with how affordable things were. I truly appreciate the quality and not the quantity that is offered in the other large grocery stores. I picked up a couple of things and even felt great after paying for it. I picked up a soup which we had later on in the day. It was great tasting.
June 23, 2009 at 10:20 am | by love for great tasing foodI also went on opening day…everything looks great. Their meat & seafood selection was excellent(best Atlantic salmon we’ve been able to find in Toronto – smart move sourcing from La Mer in Montréal), but we wished they had pre-seasoned meats like Cumbraes or Whole Foods. The produce was also very good but we wondered whether any of it was organic (it wasn’t listed anywhere). The prepared foods also looked very good. A good selection of Fred’s Breads, which are good, but I thought they were going for Boulart? I did notice that regular grocery items seemed a tad expensive ($2.69 for a 2L bottle of pop?) I’ve been a fan of McEwan’s for years and I really do hope people “get it” at the Shops at Don Mills…
June 23, 2009 at 3:57 pm | by AndreWow…great experience…the atmosphere was welcoming… as the staff…from the flowers to the amazing desserts…everything we purchased and ate was a great delectable treat… we purchased something from every department…prices were not out of this world…wishing Mark the best success in this new endeavour…we found this to be a great addition to Toronto…
June 24, 2009 at 12:32 am | by Gailzeeomg omg omg omg. i had my doubts about this place, but went in over the weekend and was stunned, stunned, stunned by the quality. the prices are not nearly as sky-high as you’d expect. now, mark, get your arse in gear and open one of these downtown.
June 24, 2009 at 9:43 am | by TDOTFoodieWrong location! wrong location! wrong location!
June 26, 2009 at 11:56 pm | by UrbantorontoI have the same feeling as Dan from above comment-Culinary Seductions. This supermarket turnout lower than I expected. Too disappointed! It totally can’t compare to Pusateri’s gourmet food quality.
$10 a sandwich, $9 a pound of mashed potato, $2.50/100 gram of cooked deli at the self-serve hot food stand, $10 a bottle of clear vegetable soup, $8.99 Breyers ice cream etc. The prices are too expensive for this location. It makes me feel it’s a luxury convenient food store not supermarket. It looks like a new Fresh & Wild Food Market to me. I think it won’t last long at this Don Mills & Lawrence location. I appreciated it more if Mr. Mcewan relocate this supermarket to Bayview & Yorkmills area or the Bayview Village shopping centre. Lastly, I would like to mention it here that I am so impressed with the servers there. They provided very professional and best services.
Betty, use Google Maps: http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=939+Lawrence+E,+Toronto,+ON
If you can drive into downtown Toronto, stay on the Gardiner Expy to the Don Valley Parkway and drive the DVP –there is a Don Mills Rd exit close to the shops.
July 1, 2009 at 4:59 pm | by CielI recently visited your store on Don Mills Rd. I purchased several items. Here are some examples: I purchased shanks and mushrooms with your pastry dough for $13.00. This dish was very bland and had way too much dough and not enough meat. I also purchased Sheppard’s Pie made with lamb. It was better than the shanks but had too much potato and not enough lamb. The people in the store were very professional and helpful. I am a diabetic and you had nothing that I could purchase. All in all, this store did not meet my expectations. I have shopped Pusateri’s and I believe it is much better. I have purchase similar items in Pusateri’s which tasted better and was less expensive.
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