Longo's
A Canadian supermarket chain serving Southern Ontario, with a strong emphasis on fresh food, prepared meals and grocery delivery.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Longo's is a Canadian supermarket retailer based in Ontario and best known for its concentration in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area. The business operates under the corporate name Longo Brothers Fruit Markets Inc. and combines conventional grocery retailing with a more service-oriented fresh-food proposition. Its stores sell produce, meat, seafood, bakery products, dairy, pantry groceries, prepared foods and other everyday household items, while selected locations use smaller urban formats under the name The Market by Longo's. The company began in 1956 when Italian immigrant brothers Joe, Tommy and Gus Longo established a small fruit market in Toronto. The brothers had arrived in Canada from Termini Imerese, Sicily, in the early 1950s and built the business around family involvement, produce merchandising and neighborhood service. The original store, initially known as Broadway Fruit Market, was located near Yonge Street and Castlefield Avenue and occupied approximately 1,500 square feet. Eight members of the family worked in the first operation. Following the death of the family's father, the store moved to East York in 1961. Longo's subsequently expanded beyond Toronto. A second store opened in Malton at Airport Road and Derry Road. That location was damaged during a major gas explosion in 1969, but the family reopened it within days. The original Toronto store was sold in 1971, allowing the company to concentrate on the Malton operation and continued expansion. Over time, Longo's developed a network of supermarkets across Southern Ontario while retaining a family-business identity. Anthony Longo, a member of the founding family, became president in 1998 and later continued to lead the company as chief executive. The retailer has also pursued formats and services suited to changing shopping habits. A large flagship store opened at Maple Leaf Square in downtown Toronto, while smaller Market by Longo's stores were introduced in central Toronto neighborhoods. In 2004, Longo's acquired Grocery Gateway, an online grocery retailer and delivery service. Grocery Gateway extended the company's reach beyond its physical stores and became an important part of its e-commerce operation. Longo's also published Experience Magazine, a free customer-facing publication focused on food, recipes and the grocery experience. In March 2021, Empire Company, the parent of Sobeys, announced an agreement to acquire a 51 percent interest in Longo's and Grocery Gateway for C$357 million. The transaction closed in May 2021 after regulatory review. The deal brought Longo's into Empire's broader grocery portfolio while preserving the Longo family's continuing involvement and Anthony Longo's leadership. In September 2021, Grocery Gateway's delivery service was presented under the transitional identity Longo's delivered by Grocery Gateway. Empire later announced that the service would be discontinued and that customers would be directed toward Sobeys' Voilà platform. Additional Longo's private-label products were to become available through Voilà. Longo's remains an active regional supermarket brand rather than a national chain. Its competitive identity centers on fresh products, prepared food, convenience, neighborhood locations and an elevated but accessible shopping experience. The company's history combines immigrant entrepreneurship, family succession, regional expansion, urban-format experimentation and integration with a major Canadian grocery group.
History
Longo's traces its origins to the Longo family's migration from Sicily to Canada. Joe, Tommy and Gus Longo arrived in Canada in the early 1950s and founded the business in 1956. Their first Toronto shop operated near Yonge Street and Castlefield Avenue under the name Broadway Fruit Market. At roughly 1,500 square feet, it was a small neighborhood store staffed by eight family members. The founding model emphasized produce, personal service and direct family participation. After the death of the family's father, the business moved to East York in 1961. Longo's then opened a second location in Malton at the intersection of Airport Road and Derry Road. In 1969, a major gas explosion destroyed or damaged many businesses in the surrounding community. The Longo family repaired its store and reopened it within a few days, an episode that became part of the company's local history. In 1971, the family sold its Toronto store and focused its resources on the Malton operation and further growth. The company expanded gradually across the suburban and urban markets of Southern Ontario. It retained its family name while developing larger supermarkets and, later, smaller city-center formats. In 1998, Tommy Longo's son Anthony became president, marking an important stage in family succession. Longo's also expanded its customer communications through Experience Magazine, a free publication featuring food-related content and recipes. In 2004, Longo's acquired Grocery Gateway, an online grocery retailer and delivery service. The acquisition gave the supermarket chain an established e-commerce capability and connected its store-based business with home delivery. Longo's continued to operate supermarkets primarily in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area, including smaller-format The Market by Longo's stores in downtown and midtown Toronto. A large flagship store opened at Maple Leaf Square in downtown Toronto. The company also entered Hamilton more visibly when a store opened in Ancaster in 2016. Longo's later became part of a broader grocery-sector ownership structure. On March 16, 2021, Empire Company announced that it would acquire a 51 percent stake in Longo's and Grocery Gateway for C$357 million. The transaction was subject to Competition Bureau review and closed in May 2021. The arrangement allowed Empire, whose principal grocery banner is Sobeys, to gain a majority position while the Longo family continued to participate in the business. Anthony Longo remained the chief executive. Following the transaction, the delivery operation was temporarily identified as Longo's delivered by Grocery Gateway. Empire subsequently reassessed the delivery structure and announced in July 2023 that the Longo's and Grocery Gateway service would be sunset. Customers were to be moved progressively to Voilà, Empire's grocery-delivery platform, and selected Longo's private-label products were to be offered through that service. Longo's has therefore evolved from a small family fruit market into a substantial regional supermarket chain with physical stores, urban formats, prepared-food operations, private-label merchandise and digital grocery experience. Its present identity remains tied to Southern Ontario, fresh-food retailing and the Longo family name, while its majority ownership connects the business to Empire and the Sobeys group.
- 2023
Longo's delivery service is sunset
[1]Empire announces that the Longo's and Grocery Gateway delivery operation will be replaced by customer migration to Voilà.
- 2021
Empire acquires a majority stake
[1]Empire Company agrees to acquire 51 percent of Longo's and Grocery Gateway, completing the transaction in May.
- 2016
Longo's enters Hamilton with an Ancaster store
[1]The opening of the Ancaster location extends the chain into the Hamilton market.
- 2004
Grocery Gateway is acquired
[1]Longo's acquires the online grocery retailer and delivery service Grocery Gateway.
- 1998
Anthony Longo becomes president
[1]Anthony Longo, from the second generation of the founding family, assumes the presidency.
- 1971
Toronto store is sold
[1]Longo's sells its Toronto store and concentrates on Malton operations and subsequent expansion.
- 1969
Malton store reopens after gas explosion
[1]A gas explosion damages businesses around the Malton location, but the Longo family repairs and reopens its store within days.
- 1961
The original store moves to East York
[1]Following the death of the family's father, the Toronto operation relocates to East York.
- 1956
Longo's is founded in Toronto
[1]Joe, Tommy and Gus Longo establish a small family-operated fruit market near Yonge Street and Castlefield Avenue.
Products and positioning
A regional, service-oriented supermarket brand positioned around fresh food, prepared meals, convenience and neighborhood accessibility.
Fresh food · 1956
Fresh produce
Produce is central to Longo's heritage, reflecting the chain's origins as a neighborhood fruit market. Supermarkets offer a broad range of fruits, vegetables and other fresh items for everyday shopping and meal preparation.
Ready-to-eat food
Prepared foods and deli
Longo's stores include prepared meals, deli foods and other convenience-oriented offerings. These products support the brand's emphasis on fresh food and make the stores relevant to customers seeking quick meal solutions as well as traditional grocery items.
Grocery products
Longo's private-label products
The Longo's name is used on private-label food products sold through the chain. Following the delivery-service transition, Empire indicated that additional Longo's private-label products would be made available through Voilà.
E-commerce and delivery · 2004
Grocery delivery
Longo's entered online grocery retail through its 2004 acquisition of Grocery Gateway. The service was later presented as Longo's delivered by Grocery Gateway before Empire announced its sunset and migration of customers to Voilà in 2023.
Brand decisions
2023
Sunsetting of the Longo's and Grocery Gateway delivery serviceStrategyBackground
After Empire's acquisition, the group reassessed how Longo's online orders and delivery should fit with its existing Voilà platform.
Action taken
Empire announced that the Longo's and Grocery Gateway delivery service would be discontinued and that customers would be redirected gradually to Voilà.
Aftermath
Longo's private-label products were expected to become available through Voilà, while Longo's continued as a physical supermarket brand.
2021
Empire takes a 51 percent stake in Longo'sM&ABackground
Empire Company pursued a majority investment in Longo's and its e-commerce business to expand its position in Ontario grocery retail.
Action taken
Empire agreed to buy 51 percent of Longo's and Grocery Gateway for C$357 million. The transaction closed in May after regulatory review.
Aftermath
Longo's remained a distinct regional brand, with the Longo family continuing to participate and Anthony Longo remaining chief executive.
Purchase price for a 51 percent stake. C$357 million (Announced March 2021; completed May 2021)
2004
Acquisition of Grocery GatewayM&ABackground
Longo's sought to expand beyond store-based grocery retail and build an online ordering and delivery capability.
Action taken
The company acquired Grocery Gateway, an online grocery retailer and delivery service.
Aftermath
Grocery Gateway became part of Longo's digital grocery operation until the delivery business was later redirected to Empire's Voilà platform.
Recent events
Sources2 sources
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