Manor Park Grocery to live again?
‘We want it to be a neighbourhood shop’
The couple that bought the building formerly occupied by Manor Park Grocery have said they hope to open another neighbourhood “corner store” once renovations are complete.
Sam Razavi has lived in Manor Park since 2012, and his partner Inês Gomes moved in with him during the pandemic in 2020. They have a daughter named Gisèle, who is 10 months old. “I fell in love with the community,” says Inês. “It’s healthy, diverse, wholesome. You can walk to the river, walk to the pond, walk to the horses – we’re both loving it.”
Sam’s father purchased the property from previous owners Nick and Lucy who had owned it for an estimated 56 years. With his father based in Montreal, Sam and Inês are taking care of the hands-on duties including overseeing the renovations and looking for tenants. The couple has put a lot of work into the property since taking possession: fresh new siding gives the property a rejuvenated look, while an almost total replacement of the interiors of the ground-floor area and the second-floor, two-and-a-half-bedroom apartment brings it up do modern standards. At time of writing, some work still needs doing, including replacement of the huge concrete staircase that spanned the width of the property’s previous façade, and the laying of interlock on the front parking area.
Sam and Inês hope they can find a tenant to open a business that will serve the neighbourhood as well as “Nick’s” did – a place to buy essentials, as well as snacks and ice-creams for people out and about, and perhaps even selling hot coffees if we’re lucky. “[A family-run neighbourhood store] has a different type of soul, a different type of experience,” says Inês. “What was here before was family run, there’s the relationship, you end up being a cornerstone of the community.” However, they have found it difficult to find a tenant interested in opening such a business, and the search continues.
If you or anyone you know are interested in opening a business from this property or viewing the apartment, contact the couple’s real estate agent Sam Mezher at homes@sammezher.com.