Longo's

{{Infobox company

| name = Longo Brothers Fruit Markets Inc.

| trade_name = Longo's

| logo = Longo's logo.svg

| image = Longo's at York Mills.jpg

| image_size =

| image_alt =

| image_caption = Longo's on York Mills Road in Toronto

| type = Private

| foundation = 1956 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

| founders = Tommy, Joe and Gus Longo

| location_city = Vaughan, Ontario

| location_country = Canada

| locations = 42

| area_served = Southern Ontario

| industry = Retail

| products = Bakery, dairy, delicatessen, frozen foods, general grocery, meat and poultry, produce, seafood, snacks, pharmacy (at six locations), flowers, Starbucks

| owners = Empire Company (51%)
Longo family (49%)

| num_employees = 5,000+

| homepage = {{url|https://www.longos.com/}}

}}

Longo Brothers Fruit Markets Inc., commonly known as Longo's, is a Canadian chain of retail supermarkets and grocery delivery service that serves the Southern Ontario area. It is controlled by Sobeys parent Empire Company in partnership with the founding Longo family. Its corporate office is located in Vaughan, Ontario, and it operates locations mainly in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area.

History

Longo's was founded in 1956 by Italian immigrant brothers Joe, Tommy and Gus Longo,{{Cite web|title=Longo’s to open cashless, convenience grocery focused on prepared meals and snacks – Produce Blue Book|url=https://www.producebluebook.com/2019/08/21/longos-to-open-cashless-convenience-grocery-focused-on-prepared-meals-and-snacks/|access-date=2020-07-24}}{{Cite news|title=Tommy Longo listened to his father and co-founded a grocery empire|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/tommy-longo-listened-to-his-father-and-co-founded-a-grocery-empire/article573632/|access-date=2020-07-24}} who immigrated to Canada in 1951 from Termini Imerese, Sicily. They established their first store at the intersection of Yonge Street and Castlefield Avenue in Toronto, with the name "Broadway Fruit Market".{{Cite web|url=http://www.longos.com/all_about_longos/page2.asp |title=Family History |publisher=Longo Brothers Fruit Markets Inc. |access-date=23 December 2009 |url-status = dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061022114524/http://www.longos.com/all_about_longos/page2.asp |archive-date=22 October 2006 }} This store was about {{convert|139|m2|sqft}}, and it had eight family members working there.{{cite web|url=https://www.thestar.com/business/2015/05/21/gus-longo-looks-back-on-60-years-in-groceries.html|title=Gus Longo looks back on 60 years in groceries|publisher=thestar.com|date=May 19, 2015}} After the Longo family joined Antonino in Canada, they opened a store on Yonge Street in 1956. A year after the father's death in 1961, the store moved to East York.{{fact|date=September 2024}}

Their second location was in Malton, at the southeast corner of Airport and Derry. While a massive gas explosion in 1969 destroyed many businesses in the community, the Longo family cleaned up and reopened after just a few days. They sold their Toronto store in 1971, to focus on their Malton operations as increased expansion continued. In 1998, Tommy's son Anthony became the president of Longo's.{{cite web|url=https://www.longos.com/our-story/|title=Our History|accessdate=16 March 2021}}

File:Tommy Longo.jpg

Longo's publishes a free magazine called Experience Magazine. In 2004, Longo's acquired the online grocery retailer Grocery Gateway.{{cite web|url=https://www.thestar.com/business/2016/11/30/longos-bets-big-on-online-grocery-shopping.html|title=Longo’s bets big on online grocery shopping|publisher=thestar.com|date=November 30, 2016}}

Longo's owns and operates 36 stores, mostly in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area, including several smaller-format "The Market by Longo's" stores in downtown and midtown Toronto. A {{convert|4500|m2|sqft|adj=on}} flagship store opened at Maple Leaf Square in downtown Toronto. In September 2016, the chain's southwesternmost location opened in Ancaster, making it the first in Hamilton.{{Cite web|url=http://www.thespec.com/news-story/6759956-longo-s-opening-new-grocery-store-in-ancaster/ |title=Longo's opening new grocery store in Ancaster|work= The Hamilton Spectator|date=8 July 2016 }}

Longo's employs more than 5,000 people, and for nine consecutive years was one of Canada's Top 50 privately managed companies by the Financial Post newspaper (2000–2008), achieving platinum status.{{Cite web|url=https://www.canadas50best.com/en/meetourwinners/Pages/PlatinumClub.aspx |title=Platinum Club members |publisher=Deloitte & Touche LLP, CIBC, National Post, and Queen's School of Business |access-date=23 December 2009 |url-status = dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141213123802/https://www.canadas50best.com/en/meetourwinners/pages/platinumclub.aspx |archive-date=13 December 2014 }}

Joe Longo Sr. died on September 15, 2008, at the age of 70.{{cite web|url=https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2008/09/19/joe_longo_a_life_of_food_and_family.html|title=Joe Longo: A life of food and family - The Star}} Tommy Longo died on January 30, 2011, at the age of 76.{{cite web|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/tommy-longo-listened-to-his-father-and-co-founded-a-grocery-empire/article573632/|title=Tommy Longo listened to his father and co-founded a grocery empire|via=The Globe and Mail}}

On March 16, 2021, it was announced that Empire Company, parent company of Sobeys, would buy a 51% stake in Longo's and its Grocery Gateway e-commerce business (which was acquired by Longo's in 2004){{Cite web|date=2014-08-25|title=Sobeys' parent buying control of Longo's, Grocery Gateway|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/technology/longo-to-acquire-grocery-gateway/article1139949/|access-date=2021-03-16|website=The Globe and Mail}} for $357 million.{{cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/sobeys-stake-longos-1.5951288|title=Sobeys parent company to buy 51% stake in Longo's, Grocery Gateway|publisher=cbc.ca|date=March 16, 2021}} The deal, which closed in May 2021, includes a clause allowing Sobeys' share to increase in future years.{{cite web|url=https://globalnews.ca/news/7699122/empire-buys-51-per-cent-stake-longos/|title=Sobeys’ parent buys 51% stake in Longo’s for $357 million|publisher=Global News|date=March 16, 2021}}{{cite web|url=https://www.supermarketnews.com/retail-financial/empire-closes-longo-s-acquisition-sets-new-freshco-locations|title=Empire closes Longo’s acquisition, sets new FreshCo locations|first=Russell|last=Redman|work=Supermarket News|date=May 13, 2021|access-date=September 16, 2021}} The Longo's stores and Grocery Gateway "will continue to be led by CEO Anthony Longo".{{Cite web|date=2021-03-16|title=Sobeys parent Empire agrees to buy majority stake in Longo’s for $357M|url=https://www.thestar.com/business/2021/03/16/sobeys-parent-empire-buys-majority-stake-in-longos-for-357m.html|access-date=2021-03-16|website=thestar.com}} The plan was subject to review by the Competition Bureau.{{Cite web|date=2021-03-16|title=Sobeys' parent buying control of Longo's, Grocery Gateway|url=https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/sobeys-parent-buying-control-of-longo-s-grocery-gateway-1.1577645|access-date=2021-03-16|website=Bloomberg}}

In September 2021, the Grocery Gateway delivery service was folded under the Longo's banner, with the transitional name "Longo's delivered by Grocery Gateway".{{cite web|url=https://www.longos.com/frequently-asked-questions|title=Frequently Asked Questions|work=Longos.com|access-date=September 16, 2021}} At the time of the Empire sale, the company said the Longo's delivery operation would continue as a standalone business, but that it might collaborate with Sobeys' own Voilà delivery brand. On July 4, 2023, Empire announced that it was sunsetting the Longo's / Grocery Gateway delivery service, with customers gradually being redirected to Voilà, and additional Longo's private label products being available through that service.{{cite web|url=https://canadiangrocer.com/empire-finalizes-integration-voila-and-grocery-gateway|title=Empire finalizes integration of Voilà and Grocery Gateway|work=Canadian Grocer|date=July 4, 2023|access-date=July 4, 2023}}