It All Started with Three Brothers

Tommy’s leadership, bold vision and steadfast commitment to always putting our Guests first, created the strong foundation from which the company would grow and succeed since its inception. His love of family, and values of honesty, trustworthiness, mutual respect and voglia (aka. our passion and entrepreneurial spirit) remain at the heart of our operations, and everything that we do.

Joe’s imagination and creativity pioneered new standards in merchandising and displays. His drive to create memorable sensory experiences garnered multiple industry awards, and created practices still used and admired in-store today. His disciplined nature, and desire for continuous improvement fostered a culture of innovation and lifelong learning at Longo’s.

Gus’ entrepreneurial spirit, passion and grit propelled the company forward and contributed to its continued growth. Known for his attention to detail, Gus frequently visits our stores ensuring our Team Members are providing the same care to products, services and Guests that he and his brothers established back in 1956.

After the lease was up on the Broadway store, the Brothers open the doors to the first official Longo’s Fruit Market at Woodbine & Mortimer Avenues. This marked the beginning of the family’s journey to grow and serve communities across Greater Toronto and Southwestern Ontario. Fun fact: Joe Longo Sr. and his family lived in the house next to the store.

The opening of the open-air market at Airport and Derry Roads, known as “The Four Corners,” marked the start of the expansion beyond fresh fruits and vegetables and offer a wider selection of grocery staples. The land was later expropriated, and the store moved to Goreway and Derry Roads in 1980. This is the location where Longo’s first offered a deli and where our family sausage recipe started being produced for sale.

The second open-air style market was opened in Burlington on Plains Road, moving to Fairview and Maple Streets in 1986. The Fairview location became the first Longo’s store to have a bakery, meat department and salad bar.

With some of the second generation of Longo family members now working in the business, the founders opened their third location in Oakville at Dundas Street & Trafalgar Road. A store surrounded by farmland was a bold move, but a risk the brothers were willing to take.

As a response to the growing needs of increasingly time-starved families, Longo’s launched Freshness-to-Go, offering phone or fax grocery orders with quick in-store pickup. Well-received by customers, this program was soon replaced by the Longo's next step in dedicated customer service, Grocery Gateway.

Tommy’s son Anthony is appointed as President & CEO of Longo Brothers Fruit Markets Inc. The Longo’s Family Charitable Foundation is also formally established to complement corporate charitable initiatives, with a mandate to support Emerging Health Research and Child & Youth Leadership Development Initiatives, helping to build healthier, happier communities.

This desire to continue to provide innovative, value-added service and convenience to our Guests continues when Longo’s acquires Grocery Gateway and becoming the leader in online grocery delivery. The original rumbling Longo truck is now a fleet that delivers across the Greater Toronto Area and beyond to Hamilton, Guelph, Stouffville and Barrie.

Longo’s celebrates its 50th Anniversary with its extended family of Team Members, Guests, and vendor partners. On the heels of their anniversary, Tommy, Joe Sr. and Gus are awarded the Life Membership Award from the Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers, ultimately cementing the Longo’s legacy and its contribution to the industry.