Zellers Diner will join opening celebrations as retailer returns to Ontario

Zellers is set to open the first of two new locations in southern Ontario this week and a “Zellers Diner on Wheels” is set to join the opening celebrations.

The company will open a 25,000 square-foot standalone store in Toronto on Thursday.

It’s located at 80 Orfus Road in North York, which is in the Dufferin Street and Highway 401 area.

To mark the opening, a 25-foot inflatable “Zeddy Bear” — the Zellers mascot — has been installed outside of the building.

And customers will also be able to enjoy the “Zellers Diner on Wheels – a nostalgic food truck concept inspired by the beloved Zellers restaurant experience,” the company said.

The Big Z Burger, hot gravy chicken sandwich, chicken fingers, grilled cheese, and gravy and fries will be among the foods offered.

Zellers said that the diner will appear at opening weekends at store launches across Canada, beginning with the Toronto store this week.

It will be open during the following hours:

• Thursday, June 18: 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. (store open 10 a.m. – 9 p.m.)
• Friday, June 19: 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. (store open 10 a.m. – 9 p.m.)
• Saturday, June 20: 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. (store open 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.)
• Sunday, June 21: 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. (store open 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.)

Zellers said there will also be limited-time giveaways and “nostalgic surprises” for customers.

Meanwhile, the second southern Ontario Zellers location is set to open at Tecumseh Mall in Windsor next month, with the exact date still yet to be announced.

It’s part of Zellers’ “continued national expansion strategy.”

The Ontario expansion comes after Zellers opened in Londonderry Mall in Edmonton last October. That store has “exceeded expectations and reinforced strong demand for the return of the iconic Canadian retailer,” the company said.

“Canadians have welcomed Zellers back with incredible enthusiasm,” said Zellers’ chief operating officer Joey Benitah.

“We’re seeing people reconnect with memories from their childhood while introducing a whole new generation to the brand.”

Zellers said the Ontario locations will have an evolving assortment across apparel, home, toys, seasonal products, snacks, and lifestyle categories, “alongside expanded nostalgic merchandise and new in-store experiences.”

The company has said that it is in discussions with multiple landlords across Canada and expects to announce new locations in Ontario and elsewhere over the coming year.

Zellers has a long history in Canada dating back to 1928.

In 2019, HBC announced that the final two Zellers stores, in Etobicoke and Ottawa, would permanently close in early 2020.

Quebec-based retailer Les Ailes de la Mode Inc. acquired the Zellers trademarks from Hudson’s Bay Company Inc. in August 2025.

— With files from Karen Longwell