Tucker's Marketplace Explained

Tucker's Marketplace
Former Name:Mother Tucker's Food Experience
Type:Private
Industry:Buffet restaurant
Predecessors:-->
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Hq Location Country:Canada
Num Locations:1
Num Locations Year:2023
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Tucker's Marketplace is an buffet restaurant in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It opened in 2023.[1]

Previously it was a chain of restaurants, with locations in Burlington, Mississauga,, Pickering, and Toronto. It was founded decades earlier as Mother Tucker's Food Experience, an à la carte restaurant. The company ceased operations in June 2020, a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and its effect on the buffet format. On January 24, 2023, the company announced the Ottawa location would re-open on January 25, 2023. The restaurant's name is a reference to a colloquial expression in British English; "tuck in" meaning to commence the consumption of a large meal.

Mother Tucker's Food Experience

Winnipeg entrepreneur Oscar Grubert opened the first location in February 1976,[2] in downtown Edmonton, at 10184 104 Street.[3] Its location was a brick warehouse built in 1927. According to The Globe and Mail, "The interior is a dimly lit rabbit warren (lined with barn siding, criss-crossed with huge wooden beams) of alcoves holding two, three or four tables. A cosy friendly atmosphere prevails amid an extraordinary clutter of such things as old cream separators, barrels, haymow hoists, washing machines, crocks, pots, teakettles, copper boilers and suchlike."[4] The location was à la carte. The Globe and Mail described the chain as a "traditional roadhouse" in 1984, comparing it to Kelsey's and The Keg.[5] Winnipeg and Calgary locations were opened within the first year,[6] [7] the latter replacing a location of Grubert's Butcher Block restaurant.[8] [9]

As of 1980, the company was headquartered in Winnipeg, likely a result of being owned by Champs Food Systems.[10] It looked to expand into the United States.[11] By 1981, the company intended to move its headquarters to the US within three years.[12] In 1989, the Scarborough, Ontario chain solicited for franchisees.[13]

Locations

As of 1984, the chain had 21 locations.[14]

Tucker's Marketplace

In 1994, the chain rebooted as Tucker's Marketplace. Largely a buffet split into themed stations, it continued to offer some table service items, including prime rib.[15] Stations were dubbed "shops", including The Corner Baker, The Green Grocer, The CookStove, Carvery & Co, and The Ice Cream Stand.[16] [17]

The new brand was created by Mother Tucker's Food Experience (Canada) Ltd.[18] and Working Ventures Canadian Fund Inc., as Newgen Restaurant Services.[19] Nolan Grubert was named its president. The goal was to expand to 25 locations in Ontario and Quebec. As of 2018, the Tucker's Marketplace chain was still owned by Newgen.[20]

As of the early 2000s, its tagline was "Here's Your Plate, Go Crazy."[21]

the chain posted an open letter on its website, suggesting it would stay closed "until concern about the coronavirus, Covid-19 begins to ease."[22] [23] On June 25, 2020, an open letter was posted stating that due to Covid-19 "we will not be reopening our restaurants."[24] The closure was announced chain-wide in late June, with the restaurant stating "that there is not a profitable path forward for our business."[25] [26]

The Ottawa location was confirmed to close on June 11, 2020 by CTV News Ottawa,[27] [28] but later was announced to re-open on January 25, 2023.[29]

References

  1. News: Raymond . Ted . Tucker's Marketplace reopening Wednesday in ByWard Market . 25 Jan 2023 . CTV News Ottawa . 25 Jan 2023 . Ottawa ON.
  2. News: Now Open: Experience Mother Tucker's Salad Bar . 26 June 2020 . Edmonton Journal . 16 February 1976 . Edmonton AB.
  3. News: Mother Tucker's Food Experience (ad) . 26 June 2020 . Edmonton Journal . 17 January 1976 . Edmonton AB . Newspapers.com.
  4. News: Turnbull. Robert. It's a good-eating city . The Globe and Mail . 13 May 1978 . Toronto ON . 44.
  5. News: Goldstein . Paul . Roadhouses trade on luck o' the Irish . The Globe and Mail . 17 December 1984 . Toronto ON . B1.
  6. News: Weiss . Gary . Winnipeg's fine old office buildings take on new life . 26 June 2020 . National Post . 4 December 1976 . Toronto ON . Newspapers.com.
  7. News: Mother Tucker's Food Experience . 26 June 2020 . The Calgary Herald . 29 September 1976 . Calgary AB . 50 . Newspapers.com.
  8. News: Hopkins . John . John Hopkins . 26 June 2020 . Calgary Herald . 8 January 1977 . Calgary AB . 59 . Newspapers.com.
  9. News: From law to restaurants . 26 June 2020 . The Leader-Post . The Canadian Press . 29 March 1977 . Regina SK . 25 . Newspapers.com.
  10. News: Sinclair Jr. . Gordon . The king of food . 26 June 2020 . Winnipeg Free Press . 27 February 2014 . Winnipeg MB . And with his other corporate pillar, Mother Tucker's Food Experience, he would expand across Canada and the United States..
  11. News: Mother Tucker's Food Experience, Inc. . Director — Real Estate Financing and Development (ad) . The Globe and Mail . 8 August 1980 . Toronto ON . B12.
  12. News: Mother Tucker's Food Experience, Inc. . Vice President — Marketing (ad) . The Globe and Mail . 24 April 1981 . Toronto ON . B12.
  13. News: After 15 years of corporate success, Mother Tucker's is read to cut you in (ad) . The Globe and Mail . 5 December 1989 . Toronto ON . B21.
  14. News: Paid copies of magazines read more . The Globe and Mail . 29 August 1984 . Toronto ON . B5.
  15. News: Light bites . The Hamilton Spectator . 16 April 1994 . Hamilton ON . 18.
  16. News: Tucker's Marketplace new concept in the Market . The Ottawa Citizen . 9 May 1996 . Ottawa ON . 8 . Newspapers.com.
  17. News: Scullion . Erin . New concepts: There's always something new and different to tantalize you in the Byward Market . 11 April 2020 . The Ottawa Citizen (Byward Market/Marchė By 5th Annual United Way Harvest Festival advertising segment) . 11 September 1996 . Ottawa ON . 5 . Newspapers.com.
  18. Web site: TUCKER'S MARKETPLACE RESTAURANT & DESIGN — 1155917 . Canadian Trademarks Database . Government of Canada . 11 April 2020 . Ottawa ON.
  19. News: Who's getting venture capital funds at first quarter 1996 . 11 April 2020 . National Post . 22 June 1996 . Toronto ON . 14 . Newspapers.com.
  20. News: Pataki . Amy . Brothers know their steaks . Toronto Star . 9 May 2018 . Toronto ON . E6.
  21. Web site: TUCKER'S MARKETPLACE RESTAURANT & DESIGN — 1155917 . Canadian Trademarks Database . Government of Canada . 11 April 2020 . Ottawa ON.
  22. News: Laucius . Joanne . Tucker's Marketplace won't reopen until COVID-19 eases, says restaurant chain . 13 June 2020 . Ottawa Citizen . Postmedia . 12 June 2020 . Ottawa ON.
  23. Web site: Tucker's . Tucker's Marketplace . https://web.archive.org/web/20200411134103/https://tuckers.ca/ . 11 April 2020 . 2020.
  24. http://tuckersmarketplace.fbmta.com/members/ViewMailing.aspx?MailingID=17180779956&StoreCode=002&_X=O0fJjznJALEo0 Letter of June 25,2020
  25. News: Carlberg . Amy . Popular buffet restaurant is shutting down all locations in Canada . 26 June 2020 . blogTO . 25 June 2020 . Toronto ON.
  26. News: Pringle . Josh . Tucker's Marketplace closing ByWard Market location . 26 June 2020 . CTV Ottawa . 25 June 2020 . Ottawa ON.
  27. News: Pringle . Josh . Popular ByWard Market pub closing after 18 years . 26 June 2020 . CTV News Ottawa . 11 June 2020 . Ottawa ON.
  28. News: Dubé . Dani-Elle . 'It’s tragic — it’s really tough:' Councillor Fleury plans to help ByWard Market businesses post COVID-19 . 26 June 2020 . Ottawa Matters . 11 June 2020 . Ottawa ON.
  29. News: Jhalli . Anil . Tucker's Marketplace re-opening . 25 Jan 2023 . CityNews Ottawa . 24 Jan 2023 . Ottawa ON.

External links

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