Canadian Retail Thread

[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

White Spot burgers are pretty good. I enjoyed them during my BC days. I noticed that BC was completely bereft of Harvey's. Every year, there seems to be fewer and fewer Harvey's locations.

There used to be one inside Home Depot(?). Weird.

Five Guys is my go-to for a burger these days. Fat Burger is good too.

[MolsonExport]

Five guys costs like 75 bucks for a family of four. For burgers and fries. Too pricey, even if tasty.

then again, even McShitties is something like $50+ dollars.

[Proof Sheet]

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

Five guys costs like 75 bucks for a family of four. For burgers and fries. Too pricey, even if tasty.

then again, even McShitties is something like $50+ dollars.

I find Five Guys is the kind of place that everyone should get a burger and then share the fries between 3 or 4. One order of their fries per person is way too much.

I find there is a big gap between the look of the burger in their photos and the actual burger that they serve is quite noticeable.

I haven't been in a few years. Is the music still deafening?

[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by Proof Sheet

I find Five Guys is the kind of place that everyone should get a burger and then share the fries between 3 or 4. One order of their fries per person is way too much.

I find there is a big gap between the look of the burger in their photos and the actual burger that they serve is quite noticeable.

I haven't been in a few years. Is the music still deafening?

Yep. We get the smaller burger (1 patty) and share fries.

It's a great burger for a decent price IMO. Everything is inflating.

[Wigs]

Originally Posted by harls

I don't get why they are building another one here. Didn't they just build a multi level one a few years ago at Carling/Queensway? Or is that one going to be bulldozed?

Fucking Canadian Tire. Useless, clueless teen employees. Stupid fake money that makes you look like you have 'fat stacks' but in reality it's about $4.55 in real money.



And that stupid female private parts logo.

This is the classic SSP Canada content I'm here for
I once bought a basketball in Canadian Tire money. Like $25 but it looked like a thousand lol

[Djeffery]

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

Five guys costs like 75 bucks for a family of four. For burgers and fries. Too pricey, even if tasty.

then again, even McShitties is something like $50+ dollars.

I went to Wendy's last Friday night for the 3 of us. Son got a baconator combo, I had a Daves double combo and my wife had one of their salads. Still came to just shy of $50. I regretted not ordering pizza, because even at $40 for 3 of us delivered, I still have a snack for later lol.

[Wigs]

Originally Posted by Djeffery

I went to Wendy's last Friday night for the 3 of us. Son got a baconator combo, I had a Daves double combo and my wife had one of their salads. Still came to just shy of $50. I regretted not ordering pizza, because even at $40 for 3 of us delivered, I still have a snack for later lol.

I used to love a Baconator when they first came out lol


best value for money as a family is probably either pizza or chinese takeout

[casper]

Originally Posted by harls

I don't get why they are building another one here. Didn't they just build a multi level one a few years ago at Carling/Queensway? Or is that one going to be bulldozed?

Fucking Canadian Tire. Useless, clueless teen employees. Stupid fake money that makes you look like you have 'fat stacks' but in reality it's about $4.55 in real money.

And that stupid female private parts logo.

They do tires well. Mostly since the person at auto desk knows his stuff.

My last time buying a non-auto part was two years ago. My electric law mower died. Looked up the one I wanted. It was on-sale. Good combination between metal shell and fair price. Website said they have a dozen in stock.

Went in to the lawnmower area. Had to press the call-for-help button. The teen-age associate came and said, "here are the lawn-mowers in this row, however I am not allowed to answer any technical questions; I am only allowed to help you take it out to the car if you buy one". That was weird.

I handed him the print out from the website, saying I want this one. He looked around the department, then said we don't have any. I pointed out the printout said it was in stock and even said they have a dozen. He said "Oh!", then looked it up on his phone, wandered around the department a but more looking for it. Just as I was about to leave he said, "Please wait, I think I know where it might be, downstairs in the auto department, wait here." He came back a few minutes later with a cart with my lawnmower. He was so happy I allowed him to take for me to the self checkout and then bring it my car. He made a sale.

The moral of the story, don't expect much and you will not be disappointed.

[casper]

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

There used to be one inside Home Depot(?). Weird.

Five Guys is my go-to for a burger these days. Fat Burger is good too.

For years the only Harvy's in Saskatoon was inside a Home Depot. Years later I think one opened up on the university campus. They are rare site in the west.

There is something that just does not fell right about their burgers. I just cant pin it down.

Triple O does have their Tuesday special when they know a back or two off all their burgers. Even at full price they make good burgers, and identical to the whitespot burgers. Looks like they have three in Ontario. Everything else is Alberta and BC. I will also go with an A&W burger.

[Loco101]

Originally Posted by theman23

Maybe because its the only restaurant chain you know in BC, because White Spot food is pretty mediocre and the overall dining experience pretty bad when you factor in the price, crappy service, and poor upkeep of most of the restaurants.

That wasn't what I experienced in Nanaimo, Victoria, Kamloops and Abbotsford but they were all locations near or attached to hotels I stayed in. I will say that I went to a White Spot in Edmonton last Summer and it wasn't very good at all.

I have been to some BC (and western) chains that were good but I usually try independent places. Cactus Club was pretty good. I was okay with Joey. Mr Mikes was nothing special. One chain I've never been to is Ricky's All Day Grill and don't plan on eating there.

[Loco101]

Originally Posted by Djeffery

I went to Wendy's last Friday night for the 3 of us. Son got a baconator combo, I had a Daves double combo and my wife had one of their salads. Still came to just shy of $50. I regretted not ordering pizza, because even at $40 for 3 of us delivered, I still have a snack for later lol.

For fast food I now only order on the chain's app and use coupons. The regular prices for combos at most places are quite outrageous these days.

[SpongeG]

the new Canadian Tire commercials are touting it as Canada's Kitchen Store. I find the stores far too crowded, aisles cluttered with stacks of dollar store looking products, they sell sheets? towels? Anything that is As Seen On TV. overall its the last place I go to look for something. Plus their stuff seems to go on sale every other week, why not just offer lower prices year-round than 70% off a frying pan every other week

[SpongeG]

Originally Posted by casper

For years the only Harvy's in Saskatoon was inside a Home Depot. Years later I think one opened up on the university campus. They are rare site in the west.

There is something that just does not fell right about their burgers. I just cant pin it down.

Triple O does have their Tuesday special when they know a back or two off all their burgers. Even at full price they make good burgers, and identical to the whitespot burgers. Looks like they have three in Ontario. Everything else is Alberta and BC. I will also go with an A&W burger.

I really like A&W lately. Harveys has a lot of locations in Alberta, Grande Prairie has two and they always were steady when I went. I don't know what the appeal is, the burgers are like the ones you get in a stack or a box at the grocery store, but they are just so good. And choosing the toppings is kind of a fun thing.

-------

As for prices I work in the industry and prices keep going up cause costs keep going up, plus so much stuff we order is very hard to get these days, Sysco is either having to sub things or they just don't have it for weeks at a time. I know last year a lot of suppliers were shut down to due all the workers being sick with covid. As an example for about 4 months we couldn't get the hashbrowns that we use and had to come up with an alternate plan, ie we had to make them which ends up costing more in labour.

[jamincan]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

I really like A&W lately. Harveys has a lot of locations in Alberta, Grande Prairie has two and they always were steady when I went. I don't know what the appeal is, the burgers are like the ones you get in a stack or a box at the grocery store, but they are just so good. And choosing the toppings is kind of a fun thing.

I hate Harvey's, because it was always a battle communicating the way I want them (in short: strongly-flavoured toppings on one side, delicately-flavoured on the other). Somehow I'm happier not having the choice at all at A&W or Wendy's or wherever else.

[niwell]

I had to go to the Canadian Tire near me recently because that's where the closest Service Ontario was located. As I had to change a few things had my backpack with documents and laptop on me. Even though I was only going to the Service Ontario desk I was forced to check my backpack at the front of the store - had to take everything out because there's not way I'm leaving a laptop at the front of the store. To say I was livid would be an understatement. Apparently it's chainwide policy and despite receiving a huge number of complaints (I called to complain afterwards) refuse to budge on the issue. Seems to be a common complaint in reviews for that specific location - given where it is in Toronto I imagine it gets a lot of foot/transit traffic.

As an aside, an in-law of mine is a CT owner and has been for a long time. In addition to multiple Canadian properties they own houses in Arizona and Hawaii. At the Xmas get-together we couldn't make it to (COVID) he got in an argument with the rest of the family about sick days and how they promote laziness. Also complains that he's trained employees that leave for better opportunities. So not a whole lot of love or sympathy for that company.

[MolsonExport]

Originally Posted by Djeffery

I went to Wendy's last Friday night for the 3 of us. Son got a baconator combo, I had a Daves double combo and my wife had one of their salads. Still came to just shy of $50. I regretted not ordering pizza, because even at $40 for 3 of us delivered, I still have a snack for later lol.

Wendy's is weird. The name is "Wendy's" but inside, everything is "Dave's"

I used to like Wendy's but their burgers are always stone cold.

[MolsonExport]

Canadian Tire clerks are generally as dumb as a bag of hammers. Or rude. Or both.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

Wendy's is weird. The name is "Wendy's" but inside, everything is "Dave's"

I used to like Wendy's but their burgers are always stone cold.

Which is weird because they are the only ones (more or less) who use the aluminum/paper wrapping. Reason why I try to not go: it's not compostable.

[Airboy]

Originally Posted by JustForTheHalibut

I'm surprised no one has mentioned OEB Breakfast Co.

It's an American restaurant chain, I think, that has locations in Kelowna and several in lower mainland. Best breakfast from a chain restaurant.

https://eatoeb.com/

Have a few of them here as well.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

Canadian Tire clerks are generally as dumb as a bag of hammers. Or rude. Or both.

Which is dumb in and of itself because if there is one good thing about Canadian Tire, it's that they have almost everything.

People I know originally from other countries sometimes rave about Canadian Tire for this fact alone.

Their in-store service often sucks but their "buyers" division is top-notch for scouting out pretty much any imaginable product one might need.