A Montreal Provigo announced "clean up on aisle one" and emerged months later with a boutique makeover and state-of-the-art food counters.
The grocery store on Nun's Island unveiled its new look on December 8, replete with a soup and sandwich station, a dining area, a 'raclette wall', tons of ready-to-eat meals and an expanded bakery serving fresh cannolis. The real pizza-de-resistance, however, is a bar with nearly a dozen kinds of oven-fresh pie.
The supermarket is the latest link in the Provigo chain to undergo a transformation, following a pilot project revamp of the Kirkland location. But it's not a carbon copy of the West Island store.
"We used that as a test market. While it caters more to Anglo shoppers, this one has more of a mix with French-inspired goods," Provigo's Fresh Category Director, François Croteau, told MTL Blog.
Here are the features (and products) that stand out the most:
Ready-To-Eat Meals
A selection of ready-to-eat meals at three different sizes.
The entrance of the revamped Provigo is filled with over a hundred ready-to-eat options, ranging from taco kits and pasta dishes to salmon dinners and meatball meals. Each one costs between $5 and $20 and comes in multiple sizes.
Individually-portioned meals, perfect for work lunches or solo dinners, are priced around $8-12 each. Larger meals come in two sizes: 510 g for couples ($7) and 1010 g for families ($12).
"Nobody has a lot of time to spend on getting meals ready, so we want them to have options," said Croteau.
Sandwich & Soup Station
Two people stand behind the Provigo soup and sandwich station. Right: Dishes from the rotisserie counter.
Ready-to-eat options are available throughout the supermarket but are especially concentrated in this section. Pre-made sandwiches line a counter across from a cantine-style dining area where shoppers can grab a bite before hitting the aisles.
Croque-monsieurs, lobster rolls, grilled cheese sandwiches, and more — all using bread baked on-site — are priced between $5 and $9, and can be paired with soup for a dollar more.
An adjoining rotisserie counter stocks nearly two dozen prepared meat and veggie plates, including teriyaki chicken, salmon pesto, Szechuan beef, roasted carrots and seasoned sweet potatoes.
You can get one main course with one side ($10) or two ($12). Soon, that counter will also serve Pete's Smoked Meat poutines ($17.95), sandwiches ($13.20) and even full briskets!
Produce
Custom salads, including the "Montreal Mix." Right: Provigo's 'vegan wall.'
The produce section is extensive, but it's the 'vegan wall' full of tofu, tempeh and other meat alternatives that first draws your eye. It seems that people are extra hungry for sustainable, eco-friendly options these days. "They asked for more options and we answered," said Croteau.
Nearby, the salad selection is equally varied. One brand that stands out is Aqua-Verti.
"It's the best lettuce I've ever had in my life. It's crisp and fresh, and you feel like it's been cut the same morning you're eating it," said Croteau, who added that bags of the 'Montreal Mix' regularly fly off the shelves in Kirkland. The custom salad ($5.99) features locally-grown romaine lettuce, green lettuce and cabbage.
Cheese Wall
Provigo's cheese wall. Right: A selection of Quebec-made fondues.
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Provigo is placing a renewed emphasis on Quebec products, so the massive cheese wall is dotted with blue tags indicating which part of the province certain wheels were made. Additional signs detail which foods and wines pair well with specific fromage.
Across the aisle, a 'raclette wall' offers traditional melty cheese, like Swiss Knight ($9.99), along with hipper options, like Quebec-sourced Chic! fondue ($18.99) flavoured with in-province gin, beer, wine and cider.
Bakery
Store-made cakes come in three sizes: standard full ($20+), half portion so you can mix and match depending on taste, and individual slices ($5). The triple-layer carrot cake looks particularly delectable! So do the gourmet Roland-brand cakes, like lemon tart ($21) and trufette ($40), and seasonal Christmas logs ($20).
The donut selection is extra festive with glazed and cream-filled confections topped with sugary Christmas lights and chocolates shaped like gifts. Donut deco will change every season.
The bakery also boasts a fresh "authentic Sicilian" cannoli stand. You can get one for $1.50 or six for $6. Croteau assured MTL Blog that they had been Italian taste-tested and approved. If you want some to keep as backup, a nearby fridge stocks the President's Choice frozen Cannoli kits (more on those here).
Pizza Bar
A Provigo employee holds up sliced prosciutto and brie pizza. Right: A selection of pies at the pizza bar.
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Eleven types of pizza are available by the slice ($3-4) or full pie ($20-25) at Provigo's iconic pizza bar. The dough is hand-tossed, baked in a pizza oven and textured almost like focaccia.
Toppings range from savoury brie and prosciutto, pepperoni, and chicken pesto, to dessert-style Nutella and banana. Each pizza is made fresh daily — you're going to want to try them all.
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