TORONTO, CANADA - The Longo’s family continues to diversify their retail portfolio, and with that in mind, the company recently opened The Market by Longo’s in the Imperial Plaza Building at 111 St. Clair Avenue West on September 23rd.

Delivering signature fresh food and convenience in specialized urban concept stores is one of the company’s recent initiatives and marks the fifth Market by Longo’s in downtown Toronto.

Mimmo Franzone, Longo’s Director of Produce and Floral, has long been a driving force behind the company’s evolving program. When I ask him what is key to the retailer’s growth, he tells me, “At Longo’s, we continue to look at produce as an extremely vital piece of our business. Whether it is in our Conventional formats, Urban stores - The Market by Longo’s - or our online delivery business (Grocery Gateway) we continue to provide our customers with the best that fresh produce has to offer.”

This newest shares the lobby of the Imperial Plaza condominium with a new LCBO location and is sure to be the destination for those looking for great food, passion, and expertise across the fresh food platform.

The 8,500 square foot Market Store by Longo’s features Longo’s award-winning fresh salad bar; a full assortment of fresh fruits and vegetables, including extensive local and organic varieties.

Highlights of Longo’s produce program include Produce at its Peak, where Longo’s produce experts hand select fruits and vegetables daily, to bring consumers market fresh offerings everyday. Another program, Taste Ontario, brings products from nearby farms to offer hundreds of local Ontario products and fresh-from-the-farm flavors. Longo’s also boasts 100 organic crops handpicked daily and a multitude of organic offerings throughout the store. The company also prides itself on its global flavors. Whichever continent you’re cooking up, from the well-known bok choy to the more exotic dragon fruit, Longo’s carries a variety of international fruits and vegetables.

In addition, there is a gourmet made-to-order stone pizza oven, full service deli with hundreds of cheeses from Canada and around the world, and certified cheese masters and cake decorators on site. The location will also offers a full service Starbucks coffee shop and curated food samplings to complement LCBO features.

“As we grow as a company, this will be an ongoing focus and we are looking forward to our new sites in the upcoming years,” Mimmo says.

Congratulations, Longo’s, on the new urban format store. Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow as Longo’s continues to invest in its ever-widening footprint!

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