Marché Leo’s opened its seventh and largest location on November 26 at 1 Edgewater Drive in Toronto’s Bayside neighbourhood. The approximately 40,000-square-foot store anchors First Capital REIT’s Bayside Village retail development, which includes more than 600 residential units and 50,000 square feet of retail space.
The store is the largest in the Ontario chain’s portfolio, serving a rapidly growing waterfront community that has added over 1,000 residential units in the past seven years.
“This was a destination created with our customers’ needs at the forefront,” said Mona Randhawa, Director of Sales & Marketing at Marché Leo’s. “With the added space here, we’re able to offer the full international market kitchen experience that has been in development along with new and extended-value categories which customers look for in a one-stop shop.”
The Bayside store stocks over 10,000 products, including quality meats with local and health-friendly options, house crafted deli, bakery and meal preparations including gourmet Oktoberfest and Jalapeño Cheddar sausages, fresh Sourdough breads and signature family meals made daily. A gelato counter features popular and seasonal flavours like Wild Berry and Hazelnut Chocolate. There’s a Café Bar offering it’s Organic coffee made with Ontario roasted beans, locally made treats, Cheesecake Factory cakes, and a full selection of beer, wine, and non-alcoholic beverages.
The location introduces Marché Leo’s International Market Kitchen concept—featuring dedicated stations for Mediterranean, Italian, Mexican and Pan-Asian cuisines behind the food service counter.
“We now offer greater food options including cuisines that are most preferred by Canadians, with a strong focus on freshness and taste,” Randhawa said. “Our new Market Kitchen is central to that vision. We decided to create a space where extensive R&D work informed what people’s preferences are, along with their wellness and lifestyle concerns. Our team remains devoted to developing and curating an offer that fits how people live today.”
The destination-focused store and its International Market Kitchen represent years of development. The concept complements the company’s signature home meal replacement buffet counters available at all locations.
“A large portion of our model remains made from scratch or in small-batch meals, highlighting our quality positioning and being unique in modern grocery retail,” Randhawa said. “I understand the scalability challenges that drive industry trends, but for us—and I include myself as a customer—you want to taste that quality and know that your food is genuinely homemade. Focusing on that freshness, sourcing and quality is something we’re passionate about because we believe it to be fundamental to the grocery experience, not exceptional. We hope customers resonate with that commitment.”
The Marché Leo’s Bayside Supermarket represents years of development work built on extensive consumer research.
“Everything we do is research-based, with new technologies and improvements always in mind. We invest heavily in marketing platforms, consumer based solutions and data analytics to inform our decisions,” Randhawa said. “However, our overarching goal is the same since our inception and very aligned with our values of community, wellness and diversity. I’ve been involved in the industry, and specifically family business, since I was a child – we have always strived to get a better pulse on peoples changing needs and making market improvements accordingly.”
As a super centre format, the store expands it’s home, beauty, and apparel offer. Additionally, a licensed BOSS apparel section offers elevated casual essentials.
“We partnered with BOSS to offer elevated casual, everyday essentials” Randhawa said. “Having something that’s more affordable but still designer-quality in our locations is valuable and we hope to make shopping more convenient for our customers overall with these added options”
No other grocery store has a partnership with BOSS—making it unique to Marché Leo’s and a key feature for it’s new Bayside destination space.
“Of course, there are adjustments that occur over time and when you’re taking into account evolving circumstances,” Randhawa said. “However, we’ve been fortunate and have not experienced significant challenges beyond navigating the broader political and economic landscape effecting our industry among other things. We are really excited to join the Bayside community and provide our customers greater service during this time and for years to come.”
Bayside is part of Waterfront Toronto’s East Bayfront revitalization—a 23-hectare transformation of former industrial land. All four residential towers by Hines and Tridel are now complete: Aqualina (362 units, 2018), Aquavista (227 condos plus 80 affordable artist lofts, 2019), Aquabella (174 units, 2021), and Aqualuna (240 units, 2024-2025).
Next door, T3 Bayside I—North America’s tallest mass timber office building at 251,000 square feet—opened in 2023. Its ground floor is activating with retail, including World Swing Golf & Games, which recently opened its 5,200-square-foot entertainment venue featuring golf simulators and multi-sport games at 251 Queens Quay East.
First Capital REIT’s Bayside Village development continues filling out. Simona by FAB Restaurant Concepts opened in January with Mediterranean-Italian cuisine and waterfront views. Other tenants include Momo Box, Tuscan Wolf Pizzeria, and Primavera Ristorante. The East Bayfront Community Recreation Centre opened in September—a 25,000-square-foot City facility. The broader neighbourhood includes George Brown College’s Waterfront Campus, Corus Quay, and the Waterfront Innovation Centre—a 475,000-square-foot workplace housing over 2,000 employees.
“The community has been nothing but welcoming, especially for the waterfront,” Randhawa said. “We’ve had the Bayside and associated groups actively supporting us throughout the development process, from the moment we began construction. As you know, it’s challenging to break into the Toronto market because of it’s size in part, and we’re so grateful for the opportunities and remarkable support.”
The Bayside opening marks Marché Leo’s second bet on an emerging Toronto neighbourhood. The first was Canary District at 475 Front Street East.
When Marché Leo’s opened in Toronto’s Canary District, the area was still largely a construction zone. The surrounding condominiums were rising, but the neighbourhood had few retail options and was years away from full occupancy. The store became a lifeline for early residents and construction workers, establishing Marché Leo’s as a neighbourhood fixture before competitors arrived.
Bayside follows the same strategy. Both locations were signed and built before their communities were finished, allowing the grocer to grow alongside the neighbourhood rather than arrive after the market was established. It’s a strategy that requires patience, strong financial backing, and confidence that the development will deliver as promised.
Marché Leo’s now operates seven Ontario locations across format — focusing on it’s average-sized models to super centres like Bayside. Locations include North York, Eglinton Avenue East, Atrium on Bay, Kitchener, Canary District, Etobicoke, and Bayside.
Beyond Marché Leo’s, the company’s portfolio includes the launch of a bulk value concept Food Basket—an entirely new retail banner anticipated to open in 2026.
“Our portfolio now includes Food Basket, which is currently in development and anticipated to be a club concept,” Randhawa said. “Food Basket capitalizes on our existing value chain and capabilities, especially tailored to families with children or value-conscious shoppers. Customers can experience greater savings through bulk purchasing, similar to what you’d find at a Costco or Sam’s Club”
The first Food Basket location is under construction in Barrie at approximately 65,000 square feet—even larger than the Bayside flagship.
The dual approach leverages deep industry expertise. “Our background and deep understanding of market needs allows us to bring a differentiated approach to value retailing” Randhawa said. “We continue to be passionate about creating unique spaces that serve families and our community”.
For Bayside and the broader East Bayfront community, Marché Leo’s arrival represents more than just another grocery option. It’s a 40,000-square-foot anchor that validates the neighbourhood’s viability and signals to other retailers that the market can support quality retail concepts.
The store’s willingness to commit early—when the community was still taking shape—provided essential services to early residents while demonstrating confidence in the area’s long-term potential. For First Capital REIT and future Bayside Village tenants, Marché Leo’s presence establishes the neighbourhood as a viable retail destination. The grocery anchor draws daily traffic that supports surrounding restaurants and services—a critical factor for prospective tenants evaluating the location.
“We’re building a destination that people are excited about, one that brings people together regardless of their backgrounds” Randhawa said. “We’ve always been deeply involved in the communities where we operate whether through local events, larger partnerships or home caterings. We want to create a space representative of culture, and where people can secure their household essentials at great prices without compromising on quality. But, also, a space where they can discover and engage with new flavours, products, and most importantly, one another. That’s the community we’re building here.”
Dustin Fuhs is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of 6ix Retail, Toronto’s premier source for retail and hospitality industry news. As the former Editor-in-Chief of Retail Insider, Canada’s most-read retail trade publication, Dustin brings over two decades of expertise spanning retail, marketing, entertainment and hospitality sectors. His experience includes leadership roles with industry giants such as The Walt Disney Company, The Hockey Hall of Fame, Starbucks and Blockbuster.
Recognized as a RETHINK Retail Top Retail Expert in 2024 and 2025, Dustin delivers insider perspectives on Toronto’s evolving retail landscape, from emerging brands to established players reshaping the city’s commercial districts.