This is not just any supermarket; if this is what you think. This is THE pride of the Lebanese community in Quebec and of the Quebeckers in the great island of Montreal. It is THE top-notch food retail providing all food needs at reasonable prices with excellent customer service. It’s THE first destination of food shoppers.
Remember the story of the Lebanese sons of Damour who built, from nothing, a food retail chain empire in Canada? We shared with you their exciting story just one month ago, and their journey of expansion, which started in 1978, continues…
With numerous locations in the Great Island of Montreal, and crossing into Gatineau (Quebec) with a new recent location, and continuing further into the province of Ontario to open three massive Lebanese supermarkets in Toronto and surrounding, it is now the Canadian Capital of Ottawa that is feasting in and around it.
November 21st marks the date in which Marché Adonis opens the doors of its new massive Lebanese supermarket to the residents of Ottawa, and they are raving about it on social media. But, we are not surprised. The chain has been a huge success extremely in all its locations, and many cities in Canada have been asking for it.
These sons of the Lebanese coastal town of Damour, the Cheaib brothers and their friend George Ghrayeb, had brought into Canada a large part of Lebanon’s culture and introduced it in 1979 to the Canadians and to the various communities and subcultures of Canada. And they all love it to date.
In fact, Marché Adonis is extremely popular in all its locations for the quality of products and services, and for the Lebanese food and ingredients they provide; all at reasonable prices. We might try to explain it to you but, truth is, Marché Adonis is an experience one must live to know it fully.
“The Adonis experience can be felt, of course, through the quality of the products offered in our well-stocked displays, but above all thanks to the people behind the counters who will make you experience a real sensory journey in terms of gastronomy,” Adonis Group Inc.
To give you a glimpse at what is available inside their massive supermarkets: Quality food, fresh fruits and vegetables, and delicious Lebanese cuisine ready-to-eat from their counters, including shawarma, shish-taouk, falafel, plat du jour, warak enab, rez b-djej, maghrabieh and the like, and also fusion cuisine and international cuisine.
And let us not forget their fresh Lebanese bread, our known assortment of delightful desserts, Kaak and nuts, and a huge variety of charcuterie, and fresh cheeses, including our Jebneh Baladi, Haloum, Mjadleh, and Ashkawan, and also Shankleesh and fresh Labneh, and you name it.
On its very first day of opening in Ottawa, Marché Adonis, which is located at 1055 St. Laurent Blvd, was fully packed to the point that someone commented on Reddit that he couldn’t find a parking space.
And yet, Adonis supermarkets are known to have always a huge parking area for their customers. This Reddit user commented, “I went at lunchtime…and I couldn’t even find parking ANYWHERE!”
The excitement about the opening of Adonis Supermarket in Ottawa was relevant among the Ottawans on Reddit. Among the comments: “I went this morning. It was really busy but I still managed to get around … The prices seem to be cheaper than your average Loblaws / Metro.”
For those who don’t know, Loblaws and Metro are two major supermarket chains in Canada, with their own excellent popularity. Metro Inc., which is the third-largest food retail chain in Canada, had stepped in eight years ago to buy Marché Adonis’ supermarket chain.
After negotiations, it was finally decided between both parties on an acquisition of 55.5% of Marché Adonis and its distributor of Phoenicia products in favor of Metro Inc. at a cost of CAD$153.8 million.
The agreement signed on October 26, 2011, favored the three Lebanese partners with 44.5% ownership and sole management of the entire business.
There has been a rumor recently that the Lebanese partners sold their remaining shares, but there is no official statement neither a reliable source to confirm it or deny it. Hence, to date, it remains just that: a rumor.
For now, Ottawans are only at the very start of their “Adonis experience” and we wish them all a great and continuous feast!
As for Quebec City’s residents, their comments on the Marche Adonis’ FB continue: “And for us in Quebec, it’s when?” and “We are so waiting for you!” That’s how successful and loved is this Lebanese supermarket chain, built and still being managed by the three sons of Damour.
