New shop opening in the Junction concerning Design!

Hi there,

I have been reading your blog for what seems like at least a few years now and I really love it.  My name is Micah, I used to live in the Junction on Vine Ave.  I have since moved to Parkdale but I continue to be involved in the Junction community.  I am trying to open a gift shop at Dundas and Keele this spring, since I found when I was living in the Junction there was a very limited amount of places to shop, and a tonne of awesome design savvy people having to go down to Queen W or Bloor W to buy a gift or magazine etc.  Anyway, I am at the tail end of my business plan writing and I need to send out a survey to residents and patrons of the Junction, and I couldn’t think of a better way to reach those people than through the Junctioneer.  If you wouldn’t mind posting this link to my survey on your blog I would greatly appreciate it.
graphic by the blog not the sender of the post inspired by the book Objects of Desire: Design and Society Since 1750
graphic by the blog not the sender of the post inspired by the book Objects of Desire: Design and Society Since 1750

The blog has received a request from a upcoming new retailer in the Junction to post a link to the survey about the new retail effort.

They mention the stocking of magazines in store, I anm excited and hope they stock Harvard Design magazine and the ART Newspaper.

The request

Hi there,

I have been reading your blog for what seems like at least a few years now and I really love it.  My name is Micah, I used to live in the Junction on Vine Ave.  I have since moved to Parkdale but I continue to be involved in the Junction community.  I am trying to open a gift shop at Dundas and Keele this spring, since I found when I was living in the Junction there was a very limited amount of places to shop, and a tonne of awesome design savvy people having to go down to Queen W or Bloor W to buy a gift or magazine etc.  Anyway, I am at the tail end of my business plan writing and I need to send out a survey to residents and patrons of the Junction, and I couldn’t think of a better way to reach those people than through the Junctioneer.  If you wouldn’t mind posting this link to my survey on your blog I would greatly appreciate it.

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/3N637V8

19 Comments

In other news… the South American restaurant at Dundas West and Keele is out of business as is the Gingerbread Cafe and the Candy store on Pacific. Bronto err I mean Jocelyn burger has expanded with a new seating area.

Gingerbread Cafe was nice but way too expensive and the quality of food didn't look the best.

A Candy Store in this day and age just isn't going to work in this area. With all the healthy eating ya ya. It needed to sell other things apart from candy. It was a bad idea from the start and actually lasted longer than I thought.

This is also the last week for Taylor's Shoes. I encourage anyone looking for a good deal to drop them a visit, as everything is marked way down – as someone who takes a 14, I'm going to miss having a store which carries bigger sizes within walking distance.

Actually, even if you don't need shoes, you might want to swing by anyway. It's a really neat-looking store, an anachronistic throwback to what shoe stores used to look like 50 years ago.

I agree on Gingerbread. I never went in there because I was turned off by the little kid theme. Plus is was so close to Cool Hand of A Girl. I have to say, I'm not feeling Cool Hand AT ALL!! I ordered twice from there. The first time was a weak latte and the second was a burnt coffee. No thanks!

Best area coffee in my opinion is Espresso Mi Vida on Pacific but I do like Crema and the spot that is half internet cafe just beside the BMO.

Gingerbread Cafe closed not because of the location, but because the owner had no idea how to run a cafe/cook/keep the place clean/pay attention to customers.etc..

Location was great because it's very close to near-by Early Years Centre and local public school, there was always someone walking in hoping to be fed!
Owner decided not to serve breakfast, big mistake because there were many walking in asking for breakfast, every time I was there for coffee someone ALWAYS asked for breakfast!

The food was very bland, only 3 items available on the menu that advertised more than 20 choices, you spent 15 min asking the owner what was actually available, your order was ready in 20-30 min and it was less than appetising, prices didn't match quality of food at all.

The toilet was so dirty that even my 5 year-old who hates taking a bath was grossed out, he wanted nothing to do with that toilet.

For me personally, it was a little too past Keele, I actually only ended up going once and although it was nice inside, the service and quality/price of food wasn't good.

I ordered a hot chocolate, chocolate milk and gingerbread man and it was $8, I was a bit taken aback with that price.

I went the tables were a mess and she was cleaning them in front of me and I was waiting to place my order, she said she had a rush on but I was there about 3.30 so way past the lunch rush. Then when I placed my order she didn't have any milk, so she had to go and get some. After all of this I just didn't bother going again, it was worth making that extra effort to go.

I read a review of the place and the food part was very negative so I didn't even bother as it seemed to be frozen stuff heated up.

You can't cut off a large portion of your possible business to cater to a very, very specific group of individuals. A silly business plan is what sunk them

In my opinion:
1 Gingerbread Cafe was great to get a coffeeand a cookie while at the Laundromat. But where was the customer base? All those houses south of Dundas.
And the piledriving was horrendous when they opened.
But who would cross Dundas at that point with kids? The traffic is deadly.
2 Acme Candy Store: disappointing. No Easter eggs at Easter or Christmas candy at Christmas. Just stale expensive packaged retro candy from Disney.
3 Cool Hand: Great weekend brunch. Really good food. Please stay.

Okay, I don't think the stores that recently closed were due to the location. They were due to poor management. Everytime I walked by Acme Candy Store, the people who worked there were always either outside having a smoke or chatting on the phone, totally disinterested in their business and clientle. I agree with GK, the candy was stale and looked rather dusty, the funny thing is that a candy store should have done a booming business because of the huge increase of families in the Junction and Bloor West Village, the customers would have come if the management offered the right product.

It is too bad the Gingerbread House is gone because a place such as this is in high demand. A place for parents to go have a great coffee, have someone else make you a delicious lunch while your children played in a clean environment….unfortunately everything the Gingerbread Cafe was not.

To address the above proposed venture, I fully welcome you to the Junction and will be a loyal patron, if your store is well stock, well serviced with friendly, helpful folk and keep the prices to suit the community. Anyone who does a feasibility study for this area, will realize we have a hard time maintaining over priced and too hip stores. Please come to the Junction, but please do your homework first because we don't need another empty storefront after a year of shoddy business!

"Please come to the Junction, but please do your homework first because we don’t need another empty storefront after a year of shoddy business!"

Well said!

Now THIS is the kind of discussion I like to read on here… Lets all be honest about the businesses from here on out.

I'm dreaming of a bulk food store… like the ones in Kensington. We need that so I can get my dry goods AND my candy on at the same time.

The problem with the candy store was not location – it was price! I think they tried to cater to the nostalgia of baby boomers, which worked fine until the economy tanked and then they didn't change their business model. I've bought things in there as novelty gift items, but usually winced at the prices.

Sonny P… There is a bulk food store just west of Runnymede on Dundas. In the TD plaza, right next to the Price Chopper. It's not "The" Bulk store, but it's family run…

Yes there is, and its pretty good. From what I remember, there used to be a bulk food / health food place right near Shox for several years too, but that has since closed down.

Also, does anyone else think Jocelyn's (which is a very shoddy shadow of its former Bronto Burger self btw) show continue to remain open while in the middle of renovations? "Would you like drywall dust on those fries?"

I went there once and everything that I wanted to buy was way past fresh. Gummy candies were rock hard, powdered stuff was clumping plus the place was very dirty!

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