For a certain generation of Torontonians, the Zellers in-store diner — known at various points as The Skillet or the Zellers Family Restaurant — occupies the same nostalgic real estate as the long-gone IKEA ball pit. With Zellers’ return to Ontario, that piece of retail history is officially back too, at least for a limited run.
To mark the opening of its new North York location at 80 Orfus Rd., near Yorkdale, Zellers rolled out the Zellers Diner on Wheels, a pop-up food truck serving the brand’s classic comfort menu: the Big Z Burger, a hot gravy chicken sandwich, chicken fingers, grilled cheese, and fries with gravy. The truck ran from Thursday, June 18 through Sunday, June 21, alongside a 25-foot inflatable Zeddy Bear, retro kiddie rides reminiscent of the chain’s 1980s stores, and giveaways for early arrivals.
According to Zellers chief operating officer Joey Benitah, the diner’s return wasn’t a marketing afterthought — it was one of the two most requested features from customers since the brand relaunched in Canada, the other being the kiddie rides. Both are now becoming a recurring feature at future store openings across the country, with the Diner on Wheels planned to roll into future launch weekends nationwide.
The new North York location itself spans 25,000 square feet, with expanded home, lifestyle, toy, seasonal, and specialty grocery sections layered on top of the retailer’s core apparel offering. Since first shuttering its last stores in 2020 following a wave of closures that began in 2013, Zellers has been steadily rebuilding, starting with a smaller-format concept in Edmonton before bringing the format to Ontario.
Feeling nostalgic for a Big Z Burger? Keep an eye on Zellers’ future store openings — the Diner on Wheels is officially part of the brand’s playbook now.