The history of Mmmuffins restaurants in Toronto

For anyone who grew up near a shopping mall in Canada in the 1980s or 1990s, the smell of fresh-baked muffins wafting through the food court was likely the unmistakable scent of Marvellous Mmmuffins, better known as mmmuffins. 

Founded in 1979, the chain focused on selling coffee and oversized muffins (or should we say, mmmuffins) in a wide variety of flavours. Though it skyrocketed in popularity shortly after its launch, the brand had disappeared entirely by 2024. 

The evolution of the mmmuffins brand cannot be told without a backstory on the Bregman family, who were well-established in Toronto's baking scene. Lou Bregman opened the first Bagel King bakery on Eglinton Avenue West in 1957 after working in his family's baking business. 

In the 1960s, he added a second location in Yorkdale Mall, where his son Michael Bregman, then just 10 years old, worked the counter on weekends. After earning an MBA from Harvard, Michael returned to Toronto in 1977 and took a job assisting Dave Nichol, then-president of Loblaws. 

Photo: @sinosi__k.

As part of efforts to improve the store's bakery offerings, Michael and the Loblaws bakery team discovered a Hamilton baker producing muffins far larger than standard, around four to four-and-a-half ounces each, packed with grains, seeds, and fruit. At the time, muffins sold for about 15 cents, but thanks to their size, these versions would need to sell for triple the price at 45 cents. 

Despite the higher price, a trial run in two Toronto Loblaws locations in early 1979 (namely one in the Bayview Village neighbourhood and one at Yonge and St. Clair) showed immediate results. The muffins sold out by noon on the first day, and Loblaws quickly increased its orders. 

Within a week, they were ordering 16 times the initial quantity. The response convinced Micharl Bregman there was enough demand to justify a dedicated store. 

In December 1979, the first mmmuffins location opened in the Eaton Centre. The concept focused on oversized muffins baked fresh onsite, often with baking carts in full view of customers. The brand began franchising in 1980, and by the mid-1980s, mmmuffins was a staple in mall food courts across the country. 

Photo: Mike Goren/Wikimedia Commons.

The chain offered a rotating menu of over 100 muffin flavours, including cornmeal, peach, bran, piña colada, cheddar cheese, chocolate chip, and blueberry. The muffins were made using a base of five core mixes developed by the Bregman family, including chocolate fudge, carrots, bran, cornbread, and a versatile white mix that could be customized using different flavours. 

At its height, there were around 130 mmmuffins locations in Canada. In 1988, Michael Bregman acquired Second Cup, and by the 1990s, he had sold off mmmuffins to focus on the growing coffee market. 

By then, changing consumer preferences began to affect the brand. In the early 1990s, health trends led to reduced demand for baked goods high in sugar and carbohydrates. The low-carb diet of the early 2000s, particularly fueled by the Atkins diet, also impacted sales, and gradually, mmmuffins declined in popularity. 

Over the next few years, the brand went through several changes in ownership. It was eventually folded into Timothy's World Coffee, then passed to a Vermont-based coffee company. In 2018, Quebec-based MTY Group, which owns food brands such as Country Style, Big Smoke Burger, Jugo Juice, and Manchu Wok, acquired what remained of mmmuffins and Timothy's for $1.7 million. 

By 2019, there were only two mmmuffins locations left, one in Toronto's Scotia Plaza food court (just off the entrance to King subway station in the PATH), and another in Côte Saint-Luc, a suburb of Montreal. The Toronto location officially shuttered its doors in 2020, and the Montreal location was rebranded as Muffin Plus in October 2024. 

While the brand no longer exists, its business model, featuring quick-service, portable breakfast, undoubtedly set a precedent in the Canadian food court scene.