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Suburban strip malls: the Peanut Plaza
A strip mall will know varying degrees of success and failure over its years. The massive Peanut Plaza near Don Mills and Finch has known the latter, but is currently experiencing the former in spades. Built in the 1960's, this 100,000+ square foot beast has been many things to many people over the years.
Here's what you need to know about the Peanut Plaza:
- Built in the 1960's
- Currently over 100,000 square feet.
- Gets its name from being literally shaped like a peanut.
- Splits Don Mills in half, turning it into two, one-way roads on both its sides.
- Parking comes at a premium from 9am to midnight every day. Saturday and Sunday are terrifying ordeals.
- Owned by the secretive, clandestine cabal known only as The Sitzer Group.
- Peanut Plaza has played host to a revolving door of shops over the years, but its chain-store mainstays include The Beer Store, Mac's, Pizza Pizza, McDonald's, Popeye's and Dollarama. The positive reputation Peanut Plaza enjoys comes from local store owners, however.
- Mr. Jerk, a beloved Toronto franchise, built its first location here. Even those who've moved out of the area return for a combo.
- Allan's Pastries is known far and wide for having one of the best patties in the city.
- Harbour Fish & Chips still uses real Halibut, and fresh-cut fries - an increasing rarity. Vanier students would likely starve if it were to ever go away.
Of all the local businesses drawing customers in, no one has made a bigger impact than Tone Tai Supermarket. After IGA's closure in 2005, Peanut Plaza had no supermarket to speak of. With no main draw, the volume of customers receded. In 2009, Tone Tai overtook IGA's empty space, and became an instant success. The area's growing Asian population took to the place immediately, capitalizing on its amazing variety (4 kinds of durian!) and ridiculously low prices.
Tone Tai's success brought a Bank of China branch, while Seneca Pub has met the increased volume of people by transforming into a full-blown (and well-frequented) sports bar.
While Peanut Plaza has been around for some time, its current success is reflective of the cultural changes all around it. Come for a Big Mac and 12-pack, stay for the fresh eel and curried goat.
Writing by Daniel Gerichter
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Would've loved to read more history of the plaza. When I was a child, my favourite snack was the wedge fries and gravy from the Mary Brown's Fried Chicken.
The McDonalds ate up a big chunk of parking when it was built in the early 1990s. I think the supermarket did the same when Tone Tai took over.
Some other Peanut history:
1. The older of the two barber shops has been there forever. They still use the blue liquid to sanitize tools.
2. Remember the original lower level anchor store: Bargain Harold's? At one point, it was occupied by a bingo hall.
3. It was a big deal for the community when a doctor's office opened up in the mid-late 1980s.
4. The original pharmacy (Shopper's) was twice as big as the current one, but the pharmacists for both the former and present care a great deal about the community.
5. The original stroller ramp at the West entrance had small stairs and a steeper incline - great for kids to slide down.
6. Consumers Distributing occupied the space where the bank and thrift store now reside. A Roger's Video once occupied that space as well.
7. There used to be a donut castle/burger shack (with joint bathrooms). The Donut Castle was sold to a coffee time (?) franchise before its current incarnation.
8. There was no mention of the still operating Indian market or the American-style Chinese take-out place near the Fish and Chips place.
9. If I'm correct, part of the lower level used to host a strip club as well.
Bargain Harolds and bi-way used to be part of the mall as well. I always used to cry for a toy from Bi-Way. I think there was an IDA in there as well at one point.
I remember when the McDonalds first opened up. It was a huge ordeal because it closed the one at Leslie and Cummer (Now a Tim Hortons).
I think there was a pool hall my brother used to go to often as well in the basement.
And just to prove a point about the peanut shape, here is the google map:
https://maps.google.ca/maps?q=Peanut+Plaza,+Don+Mills+Road,+Toronto,+ON&;hl=en&ll=43.783364,-79.349549&spn=0.012533,0.01929&sll=49.891235,-97.15369&sspn=46.110979,79.013672&oq=peanut&hq=Peanut+Plaza,+Don+Mills+Road,+Toronto,+ON&t=h&z=16
BTW, yes, the mall was/is a ghetto, but it was my ghetto.
Cheers,
--Abisaac
I grew up in that area and some of my fondest memories were hanging out at the Peanut, looking at the toys and electronics at Consumers Distributing, while eating a patty and cocoa bread from Allans.
That area was great because it had no class divide - kids from all different backgrounds and ethnicities, from public housing, to larger 4 or 5 bedroom detached houses, all went to school together and hung out together after school and on weekends.
Growing up, I had no idea it even had a "bad" reputation until I moved away. I agree with David L. - It was very "Stand By Me" -ish.
More than once I saw a car turn the wrong way onto the divided Don Mills and have to reverse at speed back into the parking lot.
Hate to burst your bubble but the Consumers Distributing was actually in the Beer Store, seeing as how it had all the warehousing space.
and in the basement, there was indeed a billiards pool hall. i used to go as a teenager and suck at it.
The consumers was where the bank is.
The strip club was under the resturant which served not bad food but if you needed to use the bathroom, you went downstairs. Aka: be careful of creepy guys if female but don't worry the strippers always had your back.
The pool hall was where the pub is & I spent many a class playing a game or just hanging out,
And the bulk store never changed in all those years.
Once you pass the bridge over the highway (near fairview mall), it's all good. Tons of condos being built and the area is being modernized.
To all the people complaining about how dangerous it is -- please stay in Hamilton ...
I was like 12 or 13 years old so take this with a grain of salt. But does anyone else recall anything like this? Maybe it was a teenage dream...
This whole memory seems like something straight out of the Wonder Years or Stand by Me.
Which reminds me-I have to go back there one day, just to see how things still are, and what has changed, myself.
Don mills ended at Van Horne
Fairview was an open field
Joe the baber at the Don Valley Barber Shop is the only original tenant still in the plaza. He is approaching retirement. He still cuts my grey hair
The Royal Bank had a branch in the plaza.
Everyone east of the Peanut and south of Van HOrne had to go around the Peanut to south on Don Mills and meeting a car going the wrong way way almost a daily occurrence
Re: point 6 - do you mean Cash Converters?
I remember this Plaza growing up as well. I lived in the "Brown" building across the street and would play in the mall almost everyday.
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