MetroMan said:
That's what I envisioned. A long indoor patio on each side where the ticket booths are now, electronic kiosks scattered around and an information counter in the middle of the Great Hall which can also sell tickets to people who don't know how to use the kiosks. The bulky dated booths are ugly, take up too much space and look dead because only a fraction of them are ever used. I hope that they're taken out.

The_Great_Hall_of_Union_Station_in_Toronto.jpg
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Canadian Pacific's ticket counters were on one side of the hall, Canadian National's on the other side. I remember when VIA used the kiosks on the north side; there was also a rental car counter and one for Ontario Northland (now gone). I'd say get rid of the north side kiosks for now, but keep the south side counters for VIA, rental cars, etc., at least for now.
 
Saw inside Booster Juice about a month ago when the door was open- was shocked to see it was completely bare. Didn't appear that any work had been done on the space.

Saw inside the McCafe today (Not a standard McD's- just a McCafe). They were having some sort of open house reception, maybe for the future employees. The place was fully stocked and operational. Asked the "bouncer" (a guy in a mccafe apron with a clipboard) when they would be opening for real- he said "at some point this coming week".
 
The north side kiosks are coming out. The north side will be returned to look somewhat like the original kiosk windows (as per the south side), but behind the openings will be a long, slender restaurant with more seating one level above on the roof of the original kiosk area (which doesn't stick out as far as the 70s kiosks). We are going to end up with a resto with a second floor view across the whole of the Great Hall.

42
 
interchange42 said:
The north side will be returned to look somewhat like the original kiosk windows (as per the south side), but behind the openings will be a long, slender restaurant with more seating one level above on the roof of the original kiosk area (which doesn't stick out as far as the 70s kiosks). We are going to end up with a resto with a second floor view across the whole of the Great Hall.
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Per the @unionstationTO Twitter account (current display picture):
bustling_great_hall_and_clock_image.jpg
 

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Student99 said:
Saw inside Booster Juice about a month ago when the door was open- was shocked to see it was completely bare. Didn't appear that any work had been done on the space.

Saw inside the McCafe today (Not a standard McD's- just a McCafe). They were having some sort of open house reception, maybe for the future employees. The place was fully stocked and operational. Asked the "bouncer" (a guy in a mccafe apron with a clipboard) when they would be opening for real- he said "at some point this coming week".
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I went by here yesterday as well, peeked through and it looked like a full size McDs, I don't think it was McCafe only. Maybe they were doing a test run with test customers before they officially open?
 
Hairball said:
I went by here yesterday as well, peeked through and it looked like a full size McDs, I don't think it was McCafe only. Maybe they were doing a test run with test customers before they officially open?
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It is a full restaurant. I was at the Coxwell and Danforth Mcdonalds a couple months ago and they were recruiting some of their employees for that location. The person doing the recruiting was the regional manager and she informed potential recruits that it would be a full fledged location. Nothing she said indicated it would be a McCafe location only.
 
On another note - one thing I wish they could do is streamline the pathway between Union subway station exit to the Bay Street Teamway - some bright soul decided that putting those temporary signage pillars right into the path of the already constricted space is a good idea. That, and the stupid concrete barrier that is somehow blocking half the sidewalk right in front of the route immediate before the teamway (as if they don't know what bollards are), folks giving out flyers in this constricted space and smokers that HAD to smoke right in the area. :mad:

AoD
 
CDL.TO said:
Looks like @Student99 was right. It's the first stand-alone McCafe location.

http://www.cp24.com/news/mcdonald-s...stand-alone-mccafe-at-union-station-1.2692773
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"Grab-and-go quinoa salads, lentil hummus wraps and coconut water available to commuters"

2011's hottest global trend food product, now arriving at your local McCafe! I guess something with Kale is still a good two years away.

EDIT: Oh wait! "A kale and Brussels sprout salad on the shelf at McCafe."

LOL. How predictable.
 
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Jonny5 said:
"Grab-and-go quinoa salads, lentil hummus wraps and coconut water available to commuters"

2011's hottest global trend food product, now arriving at your local McCafe! I guess something with Kale is still a good two years away.

EDIT: Oh wait! "A kale and Brussels sprout salad on the shelf at McCafe."

LOL. How predictable.
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And they will charge you extra something that's far cheaper to produce than meat. Charming.

AoD
 
Ah, it's just by first glance it looked like a normal McDs... I still need a place for McFlurry after a Blue Jays game, hopefully the regular one will open sooooooon!

Interesting menu options, will try it out soon.

Also there's a free McCafe coffee truck outside at Front/York today as well!
 
In other updates, the scaffolding in the east end of the Great Hall has risen gradually to near the arched ceiling, with several patches of "cleaned" stone now obvious-- though some of these test strips were done some time ago. (Is it a kind of tape that is used, as opposed to other traditional cleaning method?)

The VIA "Arrivals" area below the Great Hall is now twice as wide with the reopened area roughly where the Croissant Tree (?) stand was.

The lotto and Sightseeing counters are no longer in service on the north side of the Great Hall, with Hertz the only business hanging on (could be gone as we speak...?)

The Christmas Market is apparently in full swing. Has anyone bought or eaten anything there? I hear there's a grilled cheese and poutine outlet but haven't checked it out yet.
 
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