Canadian kitsch, craft beer and artisanal coffee are coming soon to Toronto’s new UP Express flagship terminal at Union Station. The 18,500-sq.-ft. terminal was built for Metrolinx’s Union Pearson Express, a train that will connect Union Station with Pearson International Airport.
A dedicated retail and lounge space, which opens June 6, will include three iconic Toronto retailers and establishments: Drake General Store, Balzac’s Coffee Roasters and Mill St. Brewery.
“We wanted to promote the pride and prosperity of Ontario, so we focused on some quintessential Toronto retailers that are really cool, hip and interesting,” said Kathy Haley, president of UP Express. “We wanted to have great brands that would really help make this a unique experience in the marketplace.”
Drake General Store, which sells “curated curiosities” all made in Canada, is opening a 167-sq.-ft. space. It will feature travel items, souvenirs, gifts, apparel and best-selling Drake General Store items. Travellers who don’t have much time to shop can order products from the new ecommerce site, DrakeGeneralStoreUPExpress.ca and at UPExpress.com.
“When [travellers] step off the train, we’re right there, so there’s really an exciting opportunity for us to reach out to this customer,” said Carlo Colacci, co-founder of Drake General Store, which has five other locations. “We spend a lot of time curating the best of Canada or the best of Toronto and creating products that would double as a souvenir or a cool keepsake. So we thought it would be a great fit.”
Balzac’s, which has nine cafés in Southern Ontario, will serve up coffee and fresh-baked pastries, as well as light meal options sourced from other Toronto establishments.
On the second level of the station, a lounge called CIBC UPstairs will feature Mill St. Brewery’s homegrown craft beers and light fare.
UP Express will also have a number of pop-ups and has been in talks with Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Second City, tea companies and chocolate companies, said Haley.
In terms of design Haley said the retail space was “inspired by the best hospitality in the world, but is grounded in what’s beautiful about Ontario.” It will showcase fall colours like sage and pumpkin, and use “beautiful woods, lighting and materials,” she said.
Watch an interview with Kathy Haley for more insights (part of a series of interviews by Marketing’s editor-in-chief in partnership with the Canadian Marketing Association).
