Neighbourhood favourite set to re-open on the same Toronto street it once departed

A beloved neighbourhood business that closed down last year is gearing up to make its grand return to the area it previously abandoned, but it might take a little longer than you think.

Heartbreak rippled across Oakwood Village in late 2024 when Soul Provisions, entrepreneur Sara Schwartz Geller's soup-and-popsicle business and community hub, closed its doors after outgrowing its cozy Vaughan Road corner shop.

Beyond being a go-to neighbourhood delicatessen, the business's "Soupempathy" program was a lifeline to community members who were struggling financially or unable to feed themselves, and also served as a hub for community gatherings and events.

In short, Soul Provisions' absence has been a particularly gaping one. But that's all soon to change as Sara prepares to open Soul Provisions 2.0 at 397 Vaughan Rd., just down the street from her original location.

"The Humewood-Cedarvale community has supported us from day one, and we’re excited to continue being a part of its daily rhythm, serving soups, soul pops, smoothies, good vibes and more," Sara tells blogTO.

She's particularly excited, she says, because the new location sits at a crosswalk, making it more safe and accessible for customers to reach the shop. At the last location, this had been a huge point of concern for her.

But while anticipation, both Sara's and the community's, is already mounting, it may still be a while before you can actually visit.

"While we’re thrilled about the new Humewood-Cedarvale storefront, we are still currently, seven months later, tied up in a zoning issue with the City of Toronto," Sara explains.

"Even though this address previously operated as a business, and the landlord has been paying commercial taxes on it for over 50 years, we've been required to go through a full re-zoning process just to open. It's been long, frustrating, and expensive — our rezoning bill is already well into five figures — but we're hopeful we'll have everything resolved by July 2025."

In addition to the new shop, which is still underway, Sara is also opening a Soul Provisions factory flagship at 68 Tycos Dr. in North York, which will serve as home base for popsicle production, along with being another hub for pop-ups and events.

"The Soul Provisions Flagship Factory on Tycos is truly the next level for us — one part popsicle factory, one part performance, pop-up and rentable event venue. Imagine a vibrant, industrial-chic space where you can sip espresso, explore a curated grocery boutique filled with hard-to-find delights, and catch a fashion pop-up or a tasting from Ontario's best artisanal food producers," Sara says.

Both locations, whenever they are able to open, will also carry fresh challah and Friday goodies from Essen by Barnstar Kitchen, a Thornhill staple that's making its Toronto debut thanks to Sara and Soul Provisions.

Nothing worth having ever comes easy, and that's evidently holding true in the case of  Soul Provisions. But, if you ask us, July sounds like the perfect time for a popsicle business to plant its roots.

You can keep up with the latest updates on Soul Provisions 2.0 by following their social media accounts. In the meantime, Sara says, you can purchase Soul Pops as of May 24 at The Company We Keep and La Spesa Market, as well as place custom orders for parties and events.