After making a splash in the Canadian market and aiming for expansion, a luxury meat and seafood retailer from the U. S. has declared it will close all its stores in Canada, including several in Ontario.
Many shoppers feel that quality cuts and fresh seafood are luxuries they don’t always find at their local grocery stores. When Wild Fork, a U. S.-based luxury meat and seafood chain, opened its doors in Canada in 2023, it sparked excitement among meat lovers.
However, just three years after launching its operations, Wild Fork has revealed it will exit Canada entirely and shut down all locations in Ontario.
The specialty meat retailer Wild Fork, owned by global food giant JBS, made its Canadian debut in January 2023 as a “protein delivery” service. Residents of the Greater Toronto Area enjoyed same-day delivery of select specialty products while building an online presence across Ontario.
In May of that year, they celebrated the soft opening of their first retail store covering 4,000 square feet at Taunton Garden Plaza in Whitby.
Following their successful start in Whitby, additional locations throughout the GTA began to emerge. This generated even more excitement as they established stores in Ancaster, Hyde Park, and Newmarket.
This rapid expansion took place within just one year. Shoppers across Ontario were pleased with their access to high-end products like Wagyu beef, Berkshire pork, and lobster which kept customers returning for more.
With such promising success during their first year of business, company leaders recognized growing demand for their offerings in Ontario and announced intentions for “significant growth” within the Canadian market. They discussed plans to open an additional 20 stores across the GTA along with potential expansions into British Columbia and Alberta with great enthusiasm.
Today, Wild Fork shared news of this decision via a letter addressed to customers and suppliers.
“After careful consideration, Wild Fork has made the difficult decision to exit the Canadian market and close our operations in Canada.”
The remainder of the letter does not clarify why they’re shutting down brick-and-mortar locations or abandoning previously promised expansion plans during these three years.
“Throughout this transition, our team members and our customers remain our top priority,” reads the letter.
The company commended its store teams for their dedication day after day while assuring them support would be provided along with resources available for customers who may have questions or concerns moving forward.
Although there’s no clear reason given for these closures, this announcement arrives during a time when grocery prices are surging across Canada; many consumers are currently keeping an eye on expenses instead of splurging on premium meat or seafood options.
Wild Fork leaves many unanswered questions. What led to this choice? What happened to those ambitious plans for growth? Will I still receive my Thanksgiving turkey order?
The only definite information is that October 13th marks the final day scheduled for online delivery and pickup services. So make sure you grab your turkeys or any other favorites while you can – there’s just one week left!
