High-traffic Toronto Metro location is converting into a Food Basics

A high-traffic Metro location in Toronto is getting a brand new look next year, as the grocery store is set to be converted into a Food Basics.

Metro's West Queen West store at 1230 Queen St. W., sandwiched between Dufferin Street and Gladstone Avenue, will be remodelled into the yellow-and-green grocery banner in 2027.

A Metro spokesperson confirmed to blogTO that the conversion is expected to take place in early 2027, with the existing Metro store remaining open into the new year. The conversion is anticipated to take approximately three to four weeks, although specific closure and reopening dates have not been finalized yet.

Once open, the location will be one of the only Food Basics stores near the downtown core, with the next closest outlet situated near Lansdowne Avenue and Dupont Street.

Despite Metro's departure from the high-traffic corridor, the supermarket chain will continue to operate plenty of other locations nearby, including one just over a kilometre away in Liberty Village at 100 Lynn Williams St. as well as another in Little Italy.

The chain's Queen West conversion is not its only location to recently make the switch to the discount banner. Metro previously confirmed that its store at 20 Church Ave., just south of Yonge and Finch, would close on Aug. 13 before reopening as a new Food Basics store later this fall.

"This decision is about having the right store in the right neighbourhood. We regularly and carefully assess our network based on local market conditions, and in this case, a Food Basics store is better suited to meet customer needs in the area," a Metro spokesperson previously told blogTO.

The company is currently in the midst of expanding its Food Basics banner in Ontario, with plans to convert 10 existing Metro locations. Metro acquired Food Basics back in 2005 when it purchased A&P Canada for $1.7 billion.