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
The new store McEwan is stunning ! The product selection is fantastic.
June 19, 2009 at 2:33 pm | 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
BTW I love your blog!
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.
July 8, 2009 at 9:43 pm | by joe lefkowitz[...] Toronto Life [...]
July 14, 2009 at 11:44 pm | by Gourmet Grocery Open in North York « Slim Pickings CookingI work near this store, and have had the opportunity to visit it a few times. I must say that the prepared sushi is amazing! Well – in comparison to what other grocery stores offer for sushi (I’m picky) And that’s pretty much all I go there for. The service is excellent too.
July 15, 2009 at 4:43 pm | by EmilyHowever it would seem to me that if this were to be a “high end” grocery store, his organic section would be through the roof. And…to put it nicely…it sucks.
To me, good food and the best of the best means organic…maybe not to him. But seriously, you can’t get better tasting (and better for you) fruit and vegetables than organic. He displays his fruit and vegetables nicely (I couldn’t find a single bruise on his chemically sprayed nectarines) but I’d rather have it messy as long as it was organic. Maybe I’m alone on this one…and people don’t care as much about organics as I thought they did. But I really didn’t see much there that I couldn’t get at Longos or Loblaws (organically speaking).
The first few times we were there, It was great! Yesterday (July 25th) at the fish counter, one employee was busy chit chatting with a non buying customer, while about 3 or 4 other people we’re waiting to be served. I later met the same man outside on his smoke break. And then, we could find Thintinnies and now, no more. The strawberries we bought had a few rotten ones. The honneymoon is over. Just think, we go there for a loaf of bread and end up $125 later. That’s how good it was. No more. I haven’t seen the chef lately either.
July 26, 2009 at 12:45 pm | by Jean-Luc MajorServed spoiled meat today and had stale cupcakes ($3.50 each) today… families eating cherries at the cherry counter by the handfull and not purchasing and no staff in site.
August 2, 2009 at 10:48 pm | by RussThis place reminds me of Planet Hollywood – a lot of hype, high prices and very little value. An $8 baked potato in a plastic container, a $10 sandwich in a plastic container, a $12 per stem hydrangea from an incredibly underwhelming plant section….No emotional appeal to this store whatsoever. No value whatsoever. Really poor organic food assortment. Low produce quality. Saw lots of browsers on Sunday, but didn’t see anyone buying much. Geez, do your homework – learn the business of shopper marketing and NEVER allow your customers to leave your store feeling RIPPED OFF financially, emotionally, time invested, etc. It’s an insult your customers’ intelligence. Visit Whole Foods to see how shopper marketing is properly executed. When I leave their store, I marvel at everything I’ve seen, experienced and purchased, and can’t wait for the next visit. Natural and organic foods never tasted better, and have never been more interesting to learn about and explore. Want to validate your budding interest in the organic food movement? Go to Whole Foods, where customer loyalty is king and they completely understand retail market positioning. Couldn’t wait to leave McEwan’s and no, I will never be back.
August 10, 2009 at 10:05 am | by JeffGreat quality food- a liitle on the expensive side but then again, you get what you pay for.
August 12, 2009 at 3:52 pm | by LaurieNice items if you are having company and don;t want to cook!
I was surprised at the cost of the salad items- found them to be a little over the top.
We shopped at the store on Sunday. Loved the store and will return. One possible problem/concern. We bought a cold jar of Gaspacho(? sp.). We opened it as soon as we got home. Although the taste was good, it had a distinct fizzy texture on the tongue (very distinct). I would like someone to confirm that this is the way it should be. Unfortunately it reminded us of tomato juice going off. Is it supposed to have this tingly, fizzy taste. Thank you.
August 25, 2009 at 4:44 pm | by Paul KellyIt is clear that within three months from June to September the number of staff and quality of service have fallen and prices have increased dramatically.
September 14, 2009 at 9:31 am | by christian kustediI Can’t see anywhere what your hours are. Are you open Sunday? I have visitors coming from B.C. and they want to visit on Sunday.
September 22, 2009 at 8:22 pm | by mildredThe store was very cold and grey looking; totally lacking in charm or character, except for few typical cliches. I much prefer the warmth of a Bruno’s, like at Dundas and Royal York, the Garden Basket in Markham, or even better, the old Comella Fine Foods in Markham.
The food was very well presented and the staff courteous and knowledgable. The produce was over priced and not very fresh looking. The juice samples were excellent.
September 28, 2009 at 3:06 pm | by LesleyNov. 20, 2009….just watched one of Mark McEwan’s food show special….god is for real. He is just an ass hole. He hires these young helpers( like a sweat shop) and yells at them the whole night long. He pays them pennies, even though he makes like $5,000.00 a plate. Come on Mark, where are your moral’s? in the fucking frying pan. I am so upset right now that I will never watch one of your shows or go to one of your stupid rest. ever. I felt so sorry for all those sweat shop kitchen helpers you paid min wage for. Get a grip ass hole, you think that you are the only one in T.O. that knows how to cook. If you were in the room with me right now, I don’t know if I wouldn’t throw my hot soup into your face. You are the biggest ass hole around, and I thought Gordon Ramsey was bad. You give the Canadian chef’s and cooks, and line people and students a bad name. I am actually embarrassed to know that you are a line person who represents Canada……….so do as you say to all the helpers on your show that just have a hard time listening your voice, go fuck your self MARK!!!!!
November 20, 2009 at 8:51 pm | by Anne Johnstonhappy to never meet you
Anne Johnston, Sarnia, Ontario. Canada
Perfect for those who seek overly inflated prices.
November 30, 2009 at 7:00 pm | by Cindy Loo