Cedars & Co. Food Market on Bank Street - any news? [Food/Vendor]
2010 Jul 15
I too have been waiting & watching wondering when it will open. The old Fresh Fruit Co store was great and so convenient, I hope this lives up to it's predecessor.
Anyway, I've just found something on the web.
It suggests the opening is imminent (was supposed to be last week...). Interesting the bit about the guys from the Pelican & selling fish & chips if it's true. Also a bit strange that the parking lot was supposedly holding things up (it looks fine now so whats the delay?).
Source : www.oldottawasouth.ca
"It's here ! The parking lot is being paved today, Thursday, June 24, 2010. That was the main obstacle for Brian Mahmoud, Cedar's owner-operator, in getting his new store up and running. Many of his key staff are already in place, including two top guys from Pelican Fish Store. Yes, there will be fresh fish!
They will be making homemade sauces, and there'll be lots of other prepared dishes, ready to cook or eat. There will also be special spaces within the store for Shwarma, fish and chips, the fresh fish counter, and a butchery.
And finally—what we've all been mostly waiting for—fresh produce, which as I see it, is still the heart of this store for our neighbourhood.
I have toured the inside of this facility many times over the past several months as work progressed daily. There never seemed to be any of the usual lags in the reconstruction, the kind of lag that most of us have experienced when we've had our own renovations.
The extent and quality of the work that has been accomplished is impressive. This was not just a renovation—more like a complete rebuild of every aspect except the outside shell: electrical, mechanical, flooring, cooler cases, lighting, heating, refrigeration, ventilation and finishings such as new tile flooring everywhere. Even the old cement floor in the former butchery was completely removed, about 7 " of concrete, to be replaced by a new cement poured floor. It had become permeated with blood from over the years. (Vegetarians can pretend they never saw that last sentence.)
Brian Mahmoud's supervison of the work was close—every day—and it shows.
The icing on the cake in all this: he has a 15 year lease with an agreement that the owner can't develop the property during that time.
Watch for it: he says he'll be opening between the 2nd and 9th of July."
Anyway, I've just found something on the web.
It suggests the opening is imminent (was supposed to be last week...). Interesting the bit about the guys from the Pelican & selling fish & chips if it's true. Also a bit strange that the parking lot was supposedly holding things up (it looks fine now so whats the delay?).
Source : www.oldottawasouth.ca
"It's here ! The parking lot is being paved today, Thursday, June 24, 2010. That was the main obstacle for Brian Mahmoud, Cedar's owner-operator, in getting his new store up and running. Many of his key staff are already in place, including two top guys from Pelican Fish Store. Yes, there will be fresh fish!
They will be making homemade sauces, and there'll be lots of other prepared dishes, ready to cook or eat. There will also be special spaces within the store for Shwarma, fish and chips, the fresh fish counter, and a butchery.
And finally—what we've all been mostly waiting for—fresh produce, which as I see it, is still the heart of this store for our neighbourhood.
I have toured the inside of this facility many times over the past several months as work progressed daily. There never seemed to be any of the usual lags in the reconstruction, the kind of lag that most of us have experienced when we've had our own renovations.
The extent and quality of the work that has been accomplished is impressive. This was not just a renovation—more like a complete rebuild of every aspect except the outside shell: electrical, mechanical, flooring, cooler cases, lighting, heating, refrigeration, ventilation and finishings such as new tile flooring everywhere. Even the old cement floor in the former butchery was completely removed, about 7 " of concrete, to be replaced by a new cement poured floor. It had become permeated with blood from over the years. (Vegetarians can pretend they never saw that last sentence.)
Brian Mahmoud's supervison of the work was close—every day—and it shows.
The icing on the cake in all this: he has a 15 year lease with an agreement that the owner can't develop the property during that time.
Watch for it: he says he'll be opening between the 2nd and 9th of July."
2010 Jul 16
Cedar's is advertising for staff--there's a big sign in the window I saw today--so I think that may be the real holdup. The opening was supposed to be July 9th, but I passed by today and the chain was firmly up on the lot.
My source for the www.oldottawasouth.ca article may have been a bit on the optimistic side, but he can be forgiven as we are all waiting with great anticipation here in Old Ottawa South to get a local produce and meat store back!
Anyone who spots it open, please email webeditor@oldotttawasouth.ca, or announce it on one of our forums at www.oldottawasouth.ca/forums.
Also, anyone who has a food tip that's OOS-related, contact the OSCA website editor (me) anytime!
Glinda
My source for the www.oldottawasouth.ca article may have been a bit on the optimistic side, but he can be forgiven as we are all waiting with great anticipation here in Old Ottawa South to get a local produce and meat store back!
Anyone who spots it open, please email webeditor@oldotttawasouth.ca, or announce it on one of our forums at www.oldottawasouth.ca/forums.
Also, anyone who has a food tip that's OOS-related, contact the OSCA website editor (me) anytime!
Glinda
Bordeaux Jo Jo