Whole Foods in Leaside to open later this month

Whole Foods, the American grocery chain known for selling premium, organic food, is opening its newest Toronto store later this month. An ad on Facebook announced that the location will open on April 26.

In 2013, when we reported on the grocer announcing their plans for Leaside, reaction to the news was mixed. On one hand, Geoff Kettel, the vice president of the local neighbourhood association, expressed opposition on the grounds that local retailers were already doing a good job of satisfying demand. On the other, Stanley Janecek, owner of White House Meats (one of those local retailers) thought Whole Foods would not compete with specialty stores and, instead, would draw more shoppers to the neighbourhood.

The Leaside location covers 50,000 square feet. To put that in perspective, the one in Yorkville is only 40,000 square feet and the other uptown outpost (in the Hullmark Centre at Yonge and Sheppard) is 49,000 square feet.

The lot at 1860 Bayview Ave. was previously home to a Pontiac dealership

Whole Foods has not updated the Leaside listing on their website, but it’s safe to assume that the hours and other details will be similar to those for the Yonge and Sheppard store. 

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