[Undead]

Maybe the cure to poor Toronto podium retail is Ikea restos

edit: but is that ever a bland store.

 

[Towered]

A 5 minute walk for me - can't wait to gorge on the meatballs!

Though the inevitable lineups will likely prevent that

 

[PinkLucy]

Am I the only person here who has never had an IKEA meatball?

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

Maybe the cure to poor Toronto podium retail is Ikea restos

edit: but is that ever a bland store.

It's an Ikea, I am not sure what one can expect in terms of retail personality other than "bland" (and polished concrete/vinyl floors).

I am hoping their cafeteria will carry prinsesstårta and Daim cake.

Interesting - there seem to be some Toronto-specific prints that I don't think I have seen at the other GTA stores.

AoD

 

[Towered]

Am I the only person here who has never had an IKEA meatball?

Yes.

 

[Rufus8]

I went through the Ikea website yesterday. Billy bookcases are not available at that location. Same for patio sets, sofa beds; even folding chairs like the gunde. Most things I'm looking at are not available at that location.
My excitement level has gone from a 10 to a 4. Will definitely go check it out.

why must you rain on our meatball parade? reality be damned!

 

[SubHuman]

... I am hoping their cafeteria will carry prinsesstårta and Daim cake...

From what I recall of going to the Etobicoke Ikea once about three or four years ago, it had a larger cafeteria type of thing upstairs (with a view of the Gardiner Expressway), and a much smaller 'bistro' (or whatever they called it) downstairs with $1 hotdogs and a few other things. The description of the new Aura location sounds like it will have only the smaller type of one.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

From what I recall of going to the Etobicoke Ikea once about three or four years ago, it had a larger cafeteria type of thing upstairs (with a view of the Gardiner Expressway), and a much smaller 'bistro' (or whatever they called it) downstairs with $1 hotdogs and a few other things. The description of the new Aura location sounds like it will have only the smaller type of one.

Yes that's where I got both - and I am hoping this new location will carry it. At least I can see Daim candies in the Retail Insider tour of the cafeteria...

AoD

 

[marcus_a_j]

Am I the only person here who has never had an IKEA meatball?

I find them overrated. I’ll settle for the cheap hot dogs and soft serve ice cream.

 

[TossYourJacket]

From what I recall of going to the Etobicoke Ikea once about three or four years ago, it had a larger cafeteria type of thing upstairs (with a view of the Gardiner Expressway), and a much smaller 'bistro' (or whatever they called it) downstairs with $1 hotdogs and a few other things. The description of the new Aura location sounds like it will have only the smaller type of one.

It seems like what we're getting here is a hybrid of the main cafeteria, the downstairs cafe, and the food store that's usually next to the cafe. Should be interesting to see how it works.

I kinda wish they'd taken over the third floor of the podium as well so we could have had a full-size cafeteria overlooking College Park, but such is life. Normally I wouldn't object to Marshall's staying around but the stock in there has been awful lately.

 

[Northern Light]

It seems like what we're getting here is a hybrid of the main cafeteria, the downstairs cafe, and the food store that's usually next to the cafe. Should be interesting to see how it works.

I kinda wish they'd taken over the third floor of the podium as well so we could have had a full-size cafeteria overlooking College Park, but such is life. Normally I wouldn't object to Marshall's staying around but the stock in there has been awful lately.

Ikea owns the Marshall's space, Marshall's is now their tenant.

There are currently no intentions, so far as I'm aware, to repurpose said space to IKEA......but...they are the landlord now.

 

[nfitz]

A 5 minute walk for me - can't wait to gorge on the meatballs!

Though the inevitable lineups will likely prevent that

I've never seen the type of line-ups for food (either in the restaurant or downstairs) that you can see at the main cash. First week or two might be crazy. But I doubt it will be difficult to get my cinnamon buns.

 

[Rufus8]

It seems like what we're getting here is a hybrid of the main cafeteria, the downstairs cafe, and the food store that's usually next to the cafe. Should be interesting to see how it works.

I kinda wish they'd taken over the third floor of the podium as well so we could have had a full-size cafeteria overlooking College Park, but such is life. Normally I wouldn't object to Marshall's staying around but the stock in there has been awful lately.

When I first returned to Toronto the bay had a top floor cafeteria (9th floor)that overlooked City Hall, beautiful to sit and look at the city, of course they did away with it for some reason or other. Even McDonalds makes you eat in the basement now, they used to have a place in the Eaton's Centre, at the south Queen st entrance, upstairs, beside the bridge, again the window seats were popular. No one wants to encourage people to sit for any length of time.

 

[Towered]

When I first returned to Toronto the bay had a top floor cafeteria (9th floor)that overlooked City Hall, beautiful to sit and look at the city, of course they did away with it for some reason or other. Even McDonalds makes you eat in the basement now, they used to have a place in the Eaton's Centre, at the south Queen st entrance, upstairs, beside the bridge, again the window seats were popular. No one wants to encourage people to sit for any length of time.

I have fond memories of my mom often taking me to the Eaton Centre as a kid, and we always ate at the marine-themed cafeteria in Eaton's, which I think was on the 6th or 7th floor, also with a nice view of the city. Always seemed busy too, and it was a nice, almost hidden escape from the generic food court with chains in the basement, so it saddens me that these spaces were done away with. It also offered a decent selection of traditional Canadian comfort food (good luck trying to find anything like that now).

 

[gabe]

I have fond memories of my mom often taking me to the Eaton Centre as a kid, and we always ate at the marine-themed cafeteria in Eaton's, which I think was on the 6th or 7th floor, also with a nice view of the city. Always seemed busy too, and it was a nice, almost hidden escape from the generic food court with chains in the basement, so it saddens me that these spaces were done away with. It also offered a decent selection of traditional Canadian comfort food (good luck trying to find anything like that now).

Most department stores back then had cafeteria's or snack bars, even the lower end ones. I remember my parents taking me to the cafeteria at K-mart or the diner at Zellers, for grilled cheese and toasted westerns.

I remember some malls had Sears or The Bay with second floor restaurants over looking the mall. I used to love sitting by the window watching all the shoppers. Then by the mid 90s, they closed them down, dry-walled over the windows and put patio furniture or appliances in the restaurant space.