A Toronto cookbook store that people loved abruptly reopened after being closed for years, officially shutting down in 2018.
Good Egg may have closed at Kensington Market, but his Instagram account has been active again for about a year now. Known for its rare and original finds, the store operated for a decade before closing.
In August 2020, the account posted a photo from a book called Jennifer McLagan’s Blood after being silent since 2018. Understandably, the post prompted questions, with many comments asking if the store was back.
“Is there like a physical retail space where you can get this and other items previously available from Good Egg?” one person asked. “Haha. Soon! Or maybe even in a very limited way already?” the store responded.
Since then, they’ve posted more photos of the kinds of amazing cookbooks and cookware they were known for, leaving clues and even making second-hand sales at Kensington businesses like 4 Life Natural Foods. .
“After running a few pop-up shops in the neighborhood during the worst times of COVID, we decided it was time to start opening our own store again,†Mika Bareket, owner of Good Egg, told blogTO.
“We missed it. It was also a particularly spectacular time for cookbook publishing. Since our last opening, there has not been less than a plethora of fantastic cookbooks to hit the market. Not to mention a renewed interest in cooking during confinements. “
In June 2021, the account posted a photo from a “reopening diary,†posting a “sexy step before filming†in August.
Later that month, they announced they would reopen with a new music section and items like potato clocks.
Suddenly on September 9 a message appeared on the Good Egg account announcing that they were open.
“We’re back,” read the store’s website. “Our shelves are once again filled with cookbooks and cooking utensils for you to use and play with. Vintage too.”
“We found the perfect location and the world’s greatest store manager, Lara Desjardins, alumnus of Good Egg,†says Bareket.
“The new store is in a quieter part of Kensington Market at the south end of Augusta just below Bellevue Square Park. We love this location and are delighted to say that our owner is a model citizen.”
They’re open every day of the week from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 156 Augusta Avenue, and there’s plenty of exciting new stuff in store for cooks.
There is now what Bareket calls a small “Diner Music Collection†of CDs and vinyls, as well as a new second-hand section of lightly used cookware, with 20% of second-hand sales going to a store. local soup kitchen.
They’ll also now stock up on Sam James Coffee Beans, Chaga and New Age Teas, and Rosen’s Cinnamon Spreads. They will do book launches, starting with virtual ones, and also publish books.
