Longo’s Pronto Eats Caters to Cashless Convenience Seekers

Family-owned Longo Brothers Fruit Market (Longo’s) of Toronto is the latest North American grocer to embrace the smaller format, convenience game with the launch of Pronto Eats. The new 1,000-square-foot model inside Toronto’s Hudson’s Bay Centre is slated to open Aug. 26.

Pronto Eats is a small-scale, convenience-based grocery model that will cater to the busy worker and commuter with quality food options for the multitude meal and snacking occasions in a week. Shoppers can expect to find a wide variety of ready-to-eat and semi-prepared meal options, along with a specialized Longo’s Cafe service. 

Along with free Grocery Gateway same-day pickup, Pronto Eats will also be the grocer’s first cashless location and will allow guests to skip the lines with the Ritual food app.

The Pronto Eats model was pilot tested at Longo’s Maple Leaf Square location earlier this summer. “Our pilot test was designed to evaluate approachability and the depth of demand for this style of convenience,” Rosanne Longo, Longo’s spokesperson, said in a release. “The response from our guests was overwhelmingly positive and we are thrilled to now bring this concept to life in an ideal location for our demographic and brand.”

Pronto Eats is in the heart of Toronto’s PATH, a network of pedestrian tunnels and walkways that link more than 30 kilometers of office towers, shopping and entertainment. “For those who work inside or nearby, the PATH is a place where time, quality and convenience intersect, and this is at the core of what Pronto Eats plans to deliver,” said Longo.

With sustainability in mind, Pronto Eats will not offer single-use plastic bags; instead it will offer multiple reusable solutions. The store is also part of the grocer’s “Take It Back Program,” through which guests can return plastic and produce bags and have them recycled by Longo’s.

“While the size of the store is a smaller scale than what our guests are used to, the fundamentals of the business remain unchanged. No matter the concept, location or size of the store, we are committed to carrying only the highest quality of food and merchandise, matched with excellent guest service,” said Longo.

In the coming months, Longo’s is set to open additional locations in East Gwillimbury and in Toronto’s Liberty Village.

“Each of our upcoming stores involved us turning our attention to consumer demands and investing money where it really matters most to our guests,” said Longo.