iQ set to open flagship at Yorkdale
Seasonal, sustainable and produce-driven fast casual restaurant announces expansion beyond downtown core
15 August 2018
iQ, one of Canada’s leading fast casual restaurant brands, is expanding beyond Toronto’s downtown core this August, with the launch of a 2,300 square foot flagship location at Yorkdale Shopping Centre. The 40+ seat restaurant, designed by award-winning Mason Studio, will be the shopping centre’s first healthy fast casual dine-in option, and is iQ’s largest location yet.
Founded in Toronto’s financial district in 2011, iQ is largely responsible for introducing seasonal, sustainable and produce-driven fast casual cuisine to Canada's largest city. While healthy and vibrant food is at the company's core, fashion, art, music, design, architecture and technology are central to inspiring the creativity that shapes the brand. The Yorkdale location will mark iQ's seventh opening in as many years and signals the next, exciting chapter for the brand, says Alan Bekerman, founder and CEO of iQ,
"For the last seven years, our growth has been extremely measured. The company has functioned as a large sandbox of ideas where we’ve dared to experiment, break things and put them back together for only one reason: pioneering the best practices that will come to define the future of our brand, and ultimately the healthy fast casual restaurant space. We’re now entering the second phase of our growth—scale."
Executive Chef Christine Flynn oversees iQ’s seasonal kitchen and menu of locally-sourced and sustainable eats, where more than half of all ingredients used are procured within 100 kilometers of the restaurants. iQ’s plant-forward menu of bowls, toasts, soups, smoothies and baked goods is accented by quality dairy, poultry and fish, nourishing guests (and Instagram feeds).
The newest iQ location will be located on the west side of Yorkdale Shopping Centre, near the new RH Gallery and Sporting Life locations. Claire Santamaria, Yorkdale Shopping Centre General Manager, says:
"We are delighted to welcome iQ to Yorkdale and offer this premium brand to our shoppers. iQ’s reputation as one of the most innovative companies in Canada’s healthy hospitality space is well known in this market. We know that the iQ restaurant experience will be very well received by those looking for healthy dining options at Yorkdale."
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