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Hundreds of people lined up all day for the opening of the new T&T Supermarket in Toronto

Becky Robertson
Becky Robertson
|
May 19 2023, 3:16 pm
Hundreds of people lined up all day for the opening of the new T&T Supermarket in Toronto
sockagphoto/Shutterstock

If there’s anything novel and remotely exciting opening up in Toronto, you can count on there being an enormous lineup to get in. With this in mind, most people may prefer to wait a few days (or weeks) to hit up a new spot until the hype dies down, but for a devoted few, being there for opening day is worth hours of waiting around in line.

In the case of the city’s latest T&T Supermarket location, it was actually a devoted 1,000 or so, according to posts on social media.

The newest outpost of the popular Asian grocery chain debuted at CF Fairview Mall at the 404 and Sheppard at 9 am on Thursday, and those eager to be among the store’s first-ever shoppers were more than happy to line up well out the mall’s doors and around its exterior for hours.

Photos and videos of the seemingly endless line are, of course, popping up on social media in all their wild glory — including in an Instagram story from the shopping centre itself — with residents appearing to be quite shocked at the turnout.

To be fair, this T&T is an extra special one, as it is the first in Ontario to feature a walk-up counter with ready-to-eat Asian Street Food like beef-filled Chinese crepes.

This is in addition to the baked goods, live seafood, fresh produce, cosmetics, hot foods, Asian snacks, and an in-house line of products that the retailer is known for.

The whopping 36,000-square-foot supermarket was four years in the making and occupies what was formerly Fairview’s Sears department store.

The opening was originally slated for Winter 2022, which may be one key reason fans were extra anxious to get inside.

There is also the fact that this is only the second T&T in Toronto, though there are stores in Markham, Richmond Hill, and Mississauga.

The city’s only other existing location near College and Spadina likewise drew massive crowds and had a lineup snaking down the street for its grand opening in 2021, which followed the demolition of the city’s original T&T for the Port Lands revitalization project.

Along with access to unique, specialty, imported, and generally hard-to-come-by food items, customers can look forward to special promotions during opening week, which include offers from nearby businesses such as Fuwa Fuwa, Hazukido, and others.

Becky RobertsonBecky Robertson
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