By Nicolas Moyer
The last two decades have witnessed an ongoing decline of fresh food retail options for shoppers in the ByWard Market. Some notable losses of the last decade included the closure of the Ontario Fruit Dealers, the Sausage Kitchen or butcher Aubrey’s. As they’ve witnessed dwindling numbers of farmers’ stalls in the summer and an ever-expanding bar scene, residents have often feared a future without traditional fresh food vendors in the ByWard Market.
Set against those changes, a recent arrival is once more expanding food options for residents. As of its opening in the Rideau Centre on December 9th, the new Farm Boy – a food retailer focused on local sourced products and prepared foods – has seen brisk business. In the press of a busy lunch hour, Farms Boy’s Produce Manager, Korey Woodburn, is proud to note business is even better than was expected. It’s welcome news for what is a new model for Farm Boy. According to Woodburn, this location is nearly a third smaller on average than their other Ottawa stores and it places a heavier emphasis on prepared food. Any visitor during a weekday lunch hour can see a steady stream of employees from the Rideau Centre and neighbouring office towers grabbing a meal; or a few groceries.
There’s no doubt the Farm Boy will change food shopping habits for many. While it is still early to draw conclusions, some businesses in the Market are worried about what this might mean for their bottom line. Many Byward Market business owners have already been lamenting a decline in sales in recent years. For reasons ranging from construction on Rideau, to the 2016 sink-hole and the eradication of parking spaces on York for last year’s “Inspiration Village”, many business owners have seen foot traffic drop, and sales along with them.
Santiago Diaz of Continental Bagel says his sales were down 15-20% last year. Adnan Üstun, president of the Byward Market Tenants Association (those within the 55 Byward Market building), says the only thing keeping businesses like his from closing is the hope of new foot traffic with the opening of the new LRT station on Rideau. At Byward Market Fruit, the arrival of the Farm Boy created immediate ripple effects and an observable decline in clientele. After already reducing their store operations from 8 employees 5 years ago to 4 now, the threat posed by the new Farm Boy is very real.
Yet all are not concerned by Farm Boy’s arrival. Reflecting on a 50 year career in the Market, Saslove’s owner, John Deiner, points out that the businesses who have adapted remain strong today. He credits Saslove’s constant evolution to meet changing customer expectations for their continued success. No small thing when you consider there were 11 butchers in the Market in the early 1970s – Saslove’s is the only one left. John hasn’t seen any notable decline in sales after Farm Boy’s opening and isn’t ready to say yet whether its impact will be positive or negative.
It’s a similar story at Lapointe’s Fish Market, where Roberto Pachece is confident in the competitive niche they occupy with their specialization and unique fresh products. The Moulin de Provence makes this case too. Theirs are fresh and unique products that Farm Boy can’t and won’t offer. So, for some businesses at least, the Farm Boy doesn’t appear to pose a threat.
More worrying perhaps then the arrival of the Farm Boy, are the larger issues business owners raise. Nearly all share concerns about empty parking spaces, reduced foot traffic, vanishing farmers’ stalls in the summer and changing eating habits as people cook less at home.
Early excitement for Ottawa Markets, the new Municipal Services Corporation responsible for driving a positive vision of a thriving traditional fresh food market, has waned among some owners. Many wonder why new management hasn’t visited them or why they haven’t seen anything regarding plans and next steps. Given Ottawa Markets only began operating legally as of January, it may be too soon to tell whether these concerns are warranted.
Even as delays continue to affect the opening of the LRT and Ottawa Markets prepares for its first summer season, local business owners are eagerly waiting to see if the long-awaited revitalization of our traditional downtown market is finally in the cards. Residents are too.