Fortino's Fiesta Mall in Stoney Creek-new store to open in July

[Ciel]

While looking for an item online in the Hamilton News, I saw the recent article discussing the delayed opening of the new store currently under construction. There will be a Pane Fresco bakery section, just like some of the Burlington stores have and the Upper Centennial location has.

http://www.hamiltonnews.com/news/new...hed-to-summer/

Garden centre will open at the end of April.


I understand the new LCBO store nearby just had its grand opening.
http://www.hamiltonnews.com/communit...mall-location/

[Anna Michele]

Nice im all over the garden centre as soon s the snow is gone

Sent from my GT-S7560M using Tapatalk

[Ciel]

July 25 is the new store's opening day, according to the recent article in the Stoney Creek News!
http://www.hamiltonnews.com/news/new...opens-july-25/

What a treat that new space will be!

[Ciel]

Tomorrow, tomorrow-it's only a day away!

Woo-cafe with retro seating and free wi-fi-that is going to give the nearby Tim Horton's some competition.
http://www.hamiltonnews.com/news/new...opens-july-25/

8am opening:
http://www.fortinos.ca/LCLOnline/fly...yerId=37800009

[Anna Michele]

ooh i may have to go down hoping for some samples and freebies, what do ya think?

[Ciel]

I intend to do the same thing-if I time it right, be there shortly after 8 am. Actually am hoping for the same kind of swag as Sobeys Extra gave in Feb.-$10 gc, tote bag, notepad, etc.
If there are food samples, well, I must try something!

[Anna Michele]

Well that was a waste of time gas and sleep.
I was there before open they handed out a rose and a flyer lol
no special sales
only sample they had was Bread
sorry breadcrumbs will not make me spend money in fortinoes

[Anna Michele]

Iasked on my way out if I was too early for the samples she said there were some
Not that I saw
Most employees showed up after
I did so maybe they just weren't ready yet

[annedougherty]

Well, I live a couple blocks away so I will be happy just to check it out since I will be popping in there quite often as I did the other one

[Ciel]

I was surprised the store had outdoor security but seeing how the parking lot is still a work in progress, once the old store is knocked down, pedestrians stand a chance of not being mowed down by turning SUVs. I took the buses down to the store. At least the store had a use for some of that garden centre fencing!

Before getting to the rose/map staff, just getting past the carts was an art-fortunately another customer was being offered a cart but it was blocking two carts coming out and I had to dodge all of this to get into the next door.

Yes, saw the bread samples but passed on them. When leaving cash and seeing the guitar player (at end of floral dept sort of facing middle of store near cafe where two biscotti sample plates were on the counter by the coffee station), I wished his music was playing on the PA, not the loud oldies (it was cranked!) in the store.

I bought 2 buns from the Pane Fresco bakery. I walked the length of the hot food stations and past floral and Mobile Shop before entering the store properly to see what was new. It looks like Eastgate Fortino's in terms of layout but the chest freezers in frozen meat entrees are new-transparent upper sides and lids.

Did not see coupon holders in the store aisles that I strolled and only noticed the Coupon Zone board is hard against the wall as you enter the cart lobby on the way out (east entrance back to the zoo in the parking lot).

Love the Pane Fresco look/branding of food stations and counters! Not sure why store needed to put in a pharmacy as Rexall store is a short walk next door. Did not see customers in the Mobile Store (staffer was busy laying out cards on the counter-did not wish to find out if they were prepaid or some offer) nor in PC Financial kiosk. Totally missed the customer service/lotto area (west entrance lobby-noticed it while reading map on bus ride home).

In one aisle, I saw huge wide aluminum cooking pots; some large wooden spoons and wire ladles were also on display. Think the pots are for massive tomato sauce or grape harvest cooking?

Pros:
-one of the youth staffers had a bright red t-shirt with Welcome to Fortinos on it.
-outdoor grand opening signage-looked great moving in the wind to attract passing eyes
-store did great job facing out all stock so it looked like shelves are packed (but if you saw a toppled cereal box, you saw that it had one or two left behind it and empty space).
-I asked a staffer if store manager was going to offer them lunch to show appreciation for their hard work in readying store. I was told they had pizza on him Tuesday. Good that manager did that for them-hopefully they got the Pane Fresco ones!
-saw store managers/dept leads in various areas of the store, particularly hot foods and produce.
-Pane Fresco bakery and foods-yum!
-the live music performer!

Cons:
-did the pop aisle walk-what, no cherry pop in the new store (old store never had it)? Guess Upper Cent. Pkwy wins on that count.
-the volume of the music. It's rather social to talk to other customers and staff about the new store but it was like the music was hindering anything but shopping.
-absence of any grand opening gift card or other souvenir
-if not PC food samples, how about some of that Pane Fresco pizza as samples? Maybe things changed for the lunch time customers? No demo food samplers in the back of store either.

I had to walk from my last bus through town to get home. Went to local Fortino's store to get some pop and chat with a staffer. She looked at my bag of buns and said is that all you got? I said yes.

Without Fortino's at that mall (it should be renamed Fiesta Centre as it is no longer a mall), the other businesses would not be there. Especially the LCBO store.

[Ciel]

@Anna Michele-at least the store used fancy breadcrumbs...

I was thinking maybe there would be a sip and nibble table a la Sobeys Extra opening if not a gift card but neither offering was made.

One way that the store matches Tim Horton's on the same property-both interiors are chilled so much that lingering will be only for those who find the temperature comfortable. But I think that some TH fans will try out the cafe seating in Fortino's for the wi-fi and novelty factor. Saw a couple of padded bench backs in the seating zone but the chairs are some kind of pressed wood. They don't look comfortable.

Will have to ask my relative of her impressions of the store-it's her regular grocery stop.

[Anna Michele]

Great review youshould have them put this in print in the stpney creek news

[Ciel]

Oh no, this is for SCers' benefit! Let's see if the store does anything special for Festitalia in September.

[annedougherty]

I was surprised the store had outdoor security but seeing how the parking lot is still a work in progress, once the old store is knocked down, pedestrians stand a chance of not being mowed down by turning SUVs. I took the buses down to the store. At least the store had a use for some of that garden centre fencing!

Before getting to the rose/map staff, just getting past the carts was an art-fortunately another customer was being offered a cart but it was blocking two carts coming out and I had to dodge all of this to get into the next door.

Yes, saw the bread samples but passed on them. When leaving cash and seeing the guitar player (at end of floral dept sort of facing middle of store near cafe where two biscotti sample plates were on the counter by the coffee station), I wished his music was playing on the PA, not the loud oldies (it was cranked!) in the store.

I bought 2 buns from the Pane Fresco bakery. I walked the length of the hot food stations and past floral and Mobile Shop before entering the store properly to see what was new. It looks like Eastgate Fortino's in terms of layout but the chest freezers in frozen meat entrees are new-transparent upper sides and lids.

Did not see coupon holders in the store aisles that I strolled and only noticed the Coupon Zone board is hard against the wall as you enter the cart lobby on the way out (east entrance back to the zoo in the parking lot).

Love the Pane Fresco look/branding of food stations and counters! Not sure why store needed to put in a pharmacy as Rexall store is a short walk next door. Did not see customers in the Mobile Store (staffer was busy laying out cards on the counter-did not wish to find out if they were prepaid or some offer) nor in PC Financial kiosk. Totally missed the customer service/lotto area (west entrance lobby-noticed it while reading map on bus ride home).

In one aisle, I saw huge wide aluminum cooking pots; some large wooden spoons and wire ladles were also on display. Think the pots are for massive tomato sauce or grape harvest cooking?

Pros:
-one of the youth staffers had a bright red t-shirt with Welcome to Fortinos on it.
-outdoor grand opening signage-looked great moving in the wind to attract passing eyes
-store did great job facing out all stock so it looked like shelves are packed (but if you saw a toppled cereal box, you saw that it had one or two left behind it and empty space).
-I asked a staffer if store manager was going to offer them lunch to show appreciation for their hard work in readying store. I was told they had pizza on him Tuesday. Good that manager did that for them-hopefully they got the Pane Fresco ones!
-saw store managers/dept leads in various areas of the store, particularly hot foods and produce.
-Pane Fresco bakery and foods-yum!
-the live music performer!

Cons:
-did the pop aisle walk-what, no cherry pop in the new store (old store never had it)? Guess Upper Cent. Pkwy wins on that count.
-the volume of the music. It's rather social to talk to other customers and staff about the new store but it was like the music was hindering anything but shopping.
-absence of any grand opening gift card or other souvenir
-if not PC food samples, how about some of that Pane Fresco pizza as samples? Maybe things changed for the lunch time customers? No demo food samplers in the back of store either.

I had to walk from my last bus through town to get home. Went to local Fortino's store to get some pop and chat with a staffer. She looked at my bag of buns and said is that all you got? I said yes.

Without Fortino's at that mall (it should be renamed Fiesta Centre as it is no longer a mall), the other businesses would not be there. Especially the LCBO store.

All of the fixtures in the store are pretty fancy, not just the chest freezers. As for the pharmacy, perhaps rexall isn't staying, but besides, given the average age near that area, you cannot have enough pharmacies lol. There are at least a dozen on King St. in downtown Stoney Creek lol. Why do you think the LCBO wouldn't be there without Fortinos? It has to be somewhere in Stoney Creek.

The store was mayhem today but I'm glad to have it near me. It has more of an upscale feel than other locations. It's more like a Longo's. I wasn't surprised that there was a pharmacy...what I was surprised at is that there was no Joe Fresh section. Anyways, Fortino's may be pricey, but PC products often aren't, and hey, I get my coupons and do my banking there so I'm thrilled with it.

[Anna Michele]

Oh no, this is for SCers' benefit! Let's see if the store does anything special for Festitalia in September.

I wont hold my breath