Spotlight: Melissa Zuker of Toronto Market Co

Spotlight: Melissa Zuker of Toronto Market Co. brings the Midtown Market to Yonge + St. Clair on Tuesday June 20th

Toronto Market Co. has a reputation of curating some of the best open-air market experiences in the city. Its newest venture will be the Midtown Market – a summer series at Yonge + St. Clair starting on Tuesday, June 20.

We caught up with Melissa Zuker, co-founder of Toronto Market Co, to talk shop and her favourite things about the Y+SC neighbourhood.

Q: How did you decide on Midtown as your next market venture?

Yonge + St. Clair introduced us to the amazing space by the Delisle Parkette – it’s just a perfect spot to set up a pop-up experience. Right away, I could see myself picking up a delicious pizza made fresh in a wood burning oven from a market and enjoying it on a bench surrounded by trees and greenery. It’s a natural space that I can see people gravitating towards and an easy place to build a community.

Midtown has been on our radar for a while – I live not far from Yonge and St. Clair and I’ve always loved the mix of people, green spaces and businesses in the area. It’s a very animated neighbourhood, especially with all of the different events that are happening every week.

Q: Is there anything special that sets the Midtown market apart?

We’ve become known as a more upscale farmer’s market – we always make sure to feature the best products that Toronto has to offer! We have some vendors that are hyper-local from the Yonge and St. Clair area, as well as amazing treats from high quality artisan crafts, fresh food vendors and Ontario farmers. We make sure that each market is a special experience and that there’s something for anyone who stops by to visit. If you work close by, it’s easy to grab a quick and delicious lunch. On your way home, you can pick up a pint of fresh berries or some produce for dinner later. If you’re on your way to a party, there are so many nice, upscale artisan crafts that would make a perfect host gift.

Beyond creating an amazing experience for guests and visitors, we also focus on creating a great platform for entrepreneurs, small businesses and artisans to showcase their goods as well.

Q: What do you love about Yonge + St. Clair?

It’s quintessential Toronto at one intersection. It’s a great mix of local businesses and restaurants, offices and a vibrant residential community. It’s simply a very nice neighbourhood. It’s actually quite busy – there are always people coming through, walking around on their way to work, the gym or out to meet friends. And over the years, I’ve seen the area change quite a bit – which is very exciting.

Q: What are you most looking forward to at the June 20 market?

Eating outside! We have a great selection of cook on-site vendors that I can’t wait to try again. There’s something just delightful about dining al fresco during a Toronto summer. But the best thing about each of the markets in this series is that our vendors will change – so there will always be something new and different to check out every time.

The Midtown Market runs every third Tuesday of the month starting with Tuesday, June 20th, and will continue on July 18th, August 15th + September 19th. Learn more about the market itself by visiting our blog post HERE.