Zellers Family Restaurants out, food trucks in.
The Canadian discount retailer set to reboot this spring confirmed on Friday it will not be bringing back its iconic family restaurant.
Hudson’s Bay Company, which has owned Zellers since the 1970s, plans to open 25 brick-and-mortar reincarnations of the brand within select Hudson’s Bay stores in the spring. However, with each Zellers experience location only expected to range in size from 8,000 to 10,000 square feet, the company said an in-store diner isn’t possible.
Instead, Zellers will offer up classic menu items from the old restaurants through a fleet of food trucks that will roll out when the first locations open.
“Set to appear over a series of days, the Zellers Diner on wheels will pull into various locations and serve shoppers with some fan favourites from the fondly remembered Zellers Family Restaurant,” the company said in a statement. “Following the initial stops at the store locations – and if customers embrace the comeback – the Zellers Diner on wheels will gear up to head out for its cross-Canada debut. Tour dates and locations to be shared at a later date.”
Many Canadians have taken to social media in the months since the Zellers reboot was first announced to call on the chain to bring back its family restaurant. The retailer stated the food trucks are a way of acknowledging that.
As for what is served from the food trucks, the retailer is giving Canadians a say. Zellers launched a week-long Instagram poll @zellersofficial on Friday that lists nine items from the original restaurant and one vegetarian option. People can vote on their favourites with the top five choices overall slated to be added to the new menu.
The ten options to vote on are as follows:
Big Z Burger Fries and Gravy Hot Chicken Sandwich Grilled Cheese Sandwich Onion Rings Quesadilla Poutine Hot Dog Chicken Fingers Veggie Burger
Last week, Zellers revealed the locations for its first 25 stores which included White Oaks Mall in London. The only other spots in Ontario will be in Cambridge, Burlington, Mississauga, Kingston, Ottawa, Scarborough, and St. Catharines.
