Food terrace unveiled at First Canadian Place

TORONTO – Canada’s largest office building has a new dining room.
First Canadian Place, the 72-storey, 2.8 million-square-foot office tower at 100 King St. West, unveiled its revitalized food terrace on Dec. 7.

Renovations of the financial district’s only above-ground food court began in March of 2014. The unveiling was marked with a $25,000 donation to Community Food Centres Canada.

“We’re proud our enhanced food terrace reflects First Canadian Place’s dedication to being a valuable and integral part of the everyday lives of those living and working in the downtown core,” said Kevin Hallford, general manager of First Canadian Place. “We have a wide variety of dining options here, from sit down restaurants to fast casual to premium take-out.”

The food terrace features 11 eateries, including: Amaya Express, Jimmy the Greek, Maxim, Mucho Burrito, Mr. Sub, Pumpernickle’s, Szechuan Express, Ruby Thai, Tim Hortons and Maman, as well as an entrance to Cactus Club Café.

Five Guys Burgers and Fries, Greenhouse Juice Co. iQ Food Co. and Supa are scheduled to open in 2016.  

Jonathan Kearns

“Nowhere in the urban landscape is a food court more strategic than in the heart of the business sector,” said Jonathan Kearns, principal of Kearns Mancini Architects, the company hired to redesign the food terrace.  

The new design features 1,100 seats, a 30 per cent increase; a pedestrian bridge lining the terrace’s east and west sides; upgraded flooring; a wood-slatted ceiling; additional washrooms and complimentary Wi-Fi and charging stations.

“It has great bones, we just needed to reinvent it,” Kearns said.

While redesigning the new food court, Kearns explained the Canadian Prairies were used as a metaphor for the project.  

“The horizontal nature of the space contributes strongly to this idea,” Kearns said. “The ceiling flows and meanders like a prairie landscape.”

The design also includes an “expressway” running through the centre of the space, allowing patrons to quickly discover the various food options.

“And side streets slow you down until you get into the purchasing lane,” Kearns said.

While the food court provides dining options for the financial district, Kearns noted the space is also an incubator for creative interaction.

“In the 21st century workplace, the hospitality zone may be the one place where people freely interact, spark and create new concepts for life and for work,” Kearns said.