When Your Local Grocer Feels Like Family
Image: “This is where Toronto has been getting Korean groceries for 50 years” via BlogTO by Amy Carlberg, 2015
Do you have a local grocer that feels like family?
For many Torontonians, it’s PAT Market. Their story begins in 1972 – in the early days of Toronto’s famous Koreatown. The store was founded and run by the Lee family – five siblings, a cousin and an in-law.
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At the time, PAT was one of the first and few grocers in the city that offered a unique selection of Korean food. In fact, they were practically creating local supply chains for Korean grocery items. These products were in especially high demand because Toronto’s Korean community had gone from 100 people to 10,000 people between 1966 and the early 1970s. This influx of immigration is largely attributed to missionary connections between Canada and South Korea.
After five decades, Toronto’s Korean community now includes over 53 thousand people – which is over five times larger than it was when PAT Market first opened. Toronto now has multiple Koreatowns both in the Annex and Willowdale neighbourhoods. PAT Market has ridden out the ebbs and flows of city life. Today, you can find PAT markets in four locations across the GTA — moving to their largest location on Bloor Street in 2004.
Throughout all of this – one thing has stood the test of time: their kimchi recipe.
If you find yourself at PAT, make sure to pick up some of their home-made kimchi. While everyone’s kimchi recipe is a little different, this recipe is attributed to the wide-spread popularization of the dish in Toronto.
As a landmark independent grocery store, PAT continues to bring Torontonians together over a love for food and a commitment to serve their local community.
