A smaller Super Freshmart reopens

Super Freshmart, the grocery store at the corner of Church and Maitland streets, reopens today, March 8, albeit slightly smaller in size.

With escalating costs and increased competition from Loblaws down the street, owner Daniel Choi says, it was time to make some hard decisions.

“It was a big place for me. After Loblaws moved in, I have seen business drop, even regulars.”

Many in the community know Super Freshmart as the 24-hour store with some of the best drunk food in the city. Tucked into a corner is a full bakery, with ham-and-cheese croissants made fresh every night for those leaving the bars after last call.

Choi says the bakery is staying, and the croissants will be back. He has also added a sushi bar, and a sushi chef will be on hand making fresh sushi for takeout orders throughout the day.

“Everything is pretty much the same, but we have reduced the size and added sushi,” he says. “It was a very big store. We tried to keep all the things that people want but minimize the size.”

Super Freshmart is one of the last independent grocers left in the Church Wellesley Village. When the store closed for renovations, many expressed fear on social media that it would be gone for good, another victim of a changing Village.

James Thwaites, who works for the owner of the building, says Super Freshmart has been cut down by about a quarter, and a new small space is up for lease next door.

Thwaites says he does not know whether any business owners have expressed interest in the property.