The owner of two well-known grocery chains says it’s swapping its downtown Ottawa Sobeys store for a Farm Boy.
Empire Co. says the 28,000-square-foot Sobeys at the base of the Claridge Icon condo tower at 193 Metcalfe St. will close in August for renovations before reopening under the Farm Boy banner in spring 2020. Employees will have the choice to move to nearby Farm Boy and Sobeys stores in the interim and return to the Metcalfe location when fitups are complete.
Sobeys parent company Empire Co. acquired Farm Boy in an $800-million deal last year. When the acquisition was first announced, Farm Boy co-CEO Jeff York moved to reassure customers that the Ottawa-born brand wouldn’t change under new ownership. Since then, Farm Boy outlets have become some of the company’s best-performing stores, according to CEO Micheal Medline.
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The new location will mark Farm Boy’s third “urban concept” store in Ottawa. There are other Farm Boys in the Rideau Centre and Westboro.