Luxury U.S. grocery chain abandoning Canadian market and closing all Ontario stores

After successfully entering the Canadian market and planning to expand, a U.S.-based luxury meat and seafood retailer has announced it will shutter all stores in the country, including several in Ontario.

Quality cuts and catches are an opulence many feel they don't often receive from grocery stores, so when U.S. luxury meat and seafood market Wild Fork planted its feet in Canadian soil back in 2023, the excitement from carnivores could not be overstated.

However, only three years after opening its doors, Wild Fork has announced its exit from Canada and will shutter all Ontario locations.

The JBS-owned (global food and meat-processing conglomerate) specialty meat retailer Wild Fork welcomed itself into its up-north neighbours' lives in January of 2023, initially building a foothold as a "protein delivery" business. Greater Toronto Area residents received same-day delivery of a selection of their specialty products, establishing their online presence in Ontario. 

In May of the same year, they hosted a soft launch of their first 4,000-sq.-ft. retail store at Taunton Garden Plaza in Whitby.

Following their success in Whitby, other Canadian locations - all in the GTA - started popping up, sparking excitement. They now hold space in Ancaster, Hyde Park, and Newmarket.  

All of this took place within a year. Ontario shoppers were happy, and the joy of experiencing luxury products such as Wagyu beef, Berkshire pork, and lobster kept customers coming back for more. 

With so much success in their first year, company executives saw demand for their products budding in Ontario and expressed plans for "significant growth" in the Canadian market. Plans for 20 more stores in the GTA and expansion into B.C. and Alberta were widely discussed, and the company shared the information with the public.

Today, in a letter to customers and suppliers, Wild Fork shared the news.

"After careful consideration, Wild Fork has made the difficult decision to exit the Canadian market and close our operations in Canada."

The rest of the letter doesn't explain why the brand is abandoning its brick-and-mortar stores or the many plans it promised during its three-year journey.

"Throughout this transition, our team members and our customers remain our top priority," the letter states.

They praise the in-store teams for showing up every day and working with pride, promising to support them, and offering resources for customers to reach out with any questions or concerns they may have. 

Despite the lack of explanation for the closures, the announcement comes amid soaring grocery prices in Canada, when many shoppers are trying to keep their loose change handy rather than spending it on high-end meat and seafood.

Wild Fork leaves questions floating. What caused this? What happened to the plans for expansion? Will I still be able to get my Thanksgiving turkey I ordered?

The only answer we have is that October 13th will be the last day online delivery and pickup are scheduled to run. So get your turkeys and any other favourites while you have the chance - you have a week!