NATALIE PADDON

Farm Boy setting up shop in Hamilton

Farm Boy is coming to Hamilton.

The Eastern Ontario-based grocery chain says it will open a location in Harvard Square Plaza, 801 Mohawk Rd. W., in the spring.

“We have developed a store we think Hamilton shoppers will enjoy, featuring the best Farm Boy wholesale fresh options in a convenient, easy-to-shop, welcoming location,” co-CEO Jeff York said in a media release.

The 22,500-square-foot west Mountain location will mark the 26th store for the chain, which started more than 36 years ago in Cornwall and focuses on locally grown produce and other fresh food options.

The store will be hiring for about 140 new jobs — a combination of about 80 part-time and 60 full-time positions, including management roles, cooks, bakers and customer service representatives. A job fair will be held in the cafeteria of Sir Allan MacNab Secondary School on Jan. 19 and 20.

At the new Hamilton store, Farm Boy says customers will find fresh produce and dairy, butcher quality meats as well as artisanal cheese. Locally made products and meals, including made-to-order wood-fired pizzas, stir-fries, sushi and sweet treats will also be available to take out or eat on-site.

Starting in Cornwall in 1981, Farm Boy has grown from a produce stand to a store chain, with a new location expected in Etobicoke and one that just opened in Ottawa’s CF Rideau Centre. Other locations include Brantford, Cambridge, Kingston, Kitchener, London, Pickering and Whitby.

The Hamilton Harvard Square store, previously home to No Frills, is undergoing about $1.45 million in renovations.