Mad Radish will open its sixth Toronto location February 18th at 171 East Liberty Street, the latest sign that Liberty Village has emerged as one of the city’s most concentrated health and wellness corridors. The 1,476-square-foot store arrives just four days after NRG Haus debuts its social wellness club in the same neighbourhood, part of a broader transformation that’s reshaped Liberty Village’s retail landscape over the past year.
The timing reflects a calculated bet on a neighbourhood in transition. Liberty Village has undergone dramatic retail turnover since early 2025, with stalwarts like The Craft Brasserie & Grille and Liberty Commons at Big Rock Brewery closing after nearly a decade each. But the replacement cycle has been swift and deliberate. Forest Hill Farmhouse opened its fifth location at 39 East Liberty Street in April 2025, specifically targeting the neighbourhood’s fitness-focused demographic. Paris Steak launched its premium steak sandwich concept in May. Sundays Pasta Lab brought its build-your-own pasta format to the area in September.
What’s emerging is a neighbourhood that’s moved beyond its sports bar and casual dining roots toward concepts that align with its demographics: 55,000 residents across 40 condo buildings, with a median age in the early thirties and individual incomes around $98,000 to $110,000. Altea Active’s 89,000-square-foot social wellness club anchors an ecosystem that now includes STRONG Pilates, OHA Wellness, F45 Training, and multiple yoga studios.
“Liberty Village is a strong fit for the brand,” CEO Adam Tomczyk told 6ixRetail. “It’s a neighbourhood with a high concentration of young professionals who care about flavour, quality ingredients, and how food fits into an active, health-focused lifestyle. That alignment with our values is where Mad Radish tends to perform best.”
The Liberty Village opening marks a shift in Mad Radish’s expansion approach. After launching franchising in 2023 and opening primarily in Ottawa’s suburbs and Toronto’s downtown core, the company is now targeting residential neighborhoods that blend office workers with a strong after-hours presence. It’s a strategy informed by performance data from Ottawa, where residential locations have outperformed expectations.
“We’ve seen similar success in Ottawa, particularly in residential areas where we generate strong lunch and dinner demand,” Tomczyk said. “That experience has reinforced our belief that there’s still meaningful white space across Toronto and the broader GTA.”
The Liberty Village location is being led by an existing franchise partner, a detail Tomczyk emphasized as critical to the opening’s potential success. The company has become increasingly selective about expansion, prioritizing operators who understand both the business model and local market dynamics over rapid unit growth.
“What makes this opening especially meaningful is that it’s being led by an existing franchise partner who understands the business and the local market well,” he said. “That combination of community focus and operational experience gives us a lot of confidence in this location.”
Mad Radish currently operates 11 locations across Ontario. In Toronto, that includes two PATH sites at Bay Adelaide Centre and Exchange Tower, plus street-level stores on Bloor Street and at King and Yonge. The company also operates a location in East York at 45 Wicksteed Avenue in Leaside. The Ottawa footprint spans five locations: three downtown sites at Albert and Metcalfe, Kent and Slater, and The Glebe on Bank Street, plus suburban locations in Barrhaven, Stittsville, and the recently opened Orléans site on Tenth Line Road.
The expansion comes as the healthy fast-food segment faces headwinds from an increasingly price-conscious consumer base. Competitors like Freshii have restructured operations, while plant-based concepts have struggled with profitability in a market where customers increasingly seek protein-forward options. Mad Radish’s ability to maintain franchise interest and continue expanding suggests the company has refined its unit economics since launching the franchise model in 2023.
Tomczyk acknowledged the challenging environment but said the company has taken a disciplined approach to pricing while maintaining value perception. “The current economic environment has made customers more price-sensitive and intentional with their spending, which has influenced both our pricing and marketing approach,” he said. “We’ve been disciplined with price increases and focused on delivering strong value, so Mad Radish remains something people can enjoy regularly, not just occasionally.”
The company is also adapting its customer engagement strategy for 2026. While Mad Radish doesn’t currently have a traditional loyalty program due to system limitations, it’s introducing SMS messaging and targeted promotions throughout the year as a more agile alternative to structured points systems.
“We’re leaning into more agile, short-term campaigns that allow us to reward guests in meaningful ways,” Tomczyk said. “In today’s environment, loyalty is built through trust, value, and consistency — and that’s what we’re focused on delivering.”
On the product side, Tomczyk sees customer preferences shifting toward bolder flavors and ingredient transparency. “From a food standpoint, customers are gravitating toward bold, internationally inspired flavours paired with real, whole ingredients, and there is a growing preference for freshly prepared food over processed shortcuts,” he said. It’s a trend Mad Radish has leaned into with its daily roasted proteins and house-made dressings, though Tomczyk noted that menu simplification has also been driven by operational efficiency needs.
Mad Radish works with Oberfeld Snowcap, with Robert Weinberg and Justin Curtis handling Ontario site selection.
Beyond Ontario, Mad Radish is moving forward with its first western expansion. Following last year’s announcement of franchise rights for Alberta, the company is now in execution mode, with Calgary serving as the initial market test.
“We’re starting in Calgary, where we’re actively evaluating real estate and planning to open one to two locations to establish a strong foundation in the market,” Tomczyk said. The Alberta expansion represents a significant milestone for a brand that has, until now, operated exclusively in Ontario. Success in Calgary could open doors to British Columbia, where Tomczyk said early conversations are underway.
Since March 2024, the company has focused on refining its operations to improve unit economics. “Mad Radish has become a more disciplined and predictable business,” Tomczyk said. “We took time to evaluate and improve operations, resulting in stronger margins, improved labour efficiency, and better overall unit economics.”
Those improvements include simplified menus, standardized store builds, and documented operating playbooks designed around equipment that avoids expensive hoods and fryers. The typical Mad Radish location runs 1,100 to 1,600 square feet, with lower capital requirements than traditional QSR formats.
“Stores are designed around simple, reliable equipment and lower capital requirements, reducing risk and enabling new locations to ramp up quickly,” Tomczyk said.
For customers, the focus remains on product differentiation through freshly roasted proteins, bold flavors, and dietary flexibility. “We focus on freshly roasted proteins, bold international flavours, and house-made dressings that bring every dish together,” Tomczyk said. “At the same time, we offer flexibility for different dietary needs, whether someone is vegetarian, vegan, or gluten-free, without making the experience complicated.”
The Liberty Village location also benefits from the neighborhood’s long-term transit prospects. While still seven to ten years from completion, the Exhibition Ontario Line station sits directly across the Gardiner Expressway, part of a new subway line that will connect Exhibition Place to the former Ontario Science Centre. The neighborhood is already seeing significant development activity ahead of that improved connectivity, including proposals for a 55-storey tower at 147 Liberty Street and a 51-storey rental tower at 58 Atlantic Avenue.
“Looking ahead, our focus is on continuing to execute the fundamentals well, protecting quality, staying accessible, and growing in a responsible way,” Tomczyk said. “We’re excited to keep evolving the menu while supporting our partners and entering new markets thoughtfully. Our goal is to build a business that customers trust and that partners and investors feel confident in over the long term.”
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 roles with industry giants such as The Walt Disney Company, The Hockey Hall of Fame, The Canadian Opera Company, Starbucks Canada and Blockbuster.
Recognized as a RETHINK Retail Top Retail Expert in 2024, 2025 and 2026, Dustin delivers insider perspectives on Toronto’s evolving retail landscape, from emerging brands to established players reshaping the city’s commercial districts.