Food & Beverage

General Assembly Pizza signs retail deal, expands presence to 80 locations

Photo: Provided.

July 22, 2021

Toronto-based General Assembly Pizza has signed a deal with Fortinos Supermarket which expand the recently launched brand's availability to 80 locations. The expansion will begin with a five-store pilot with Fortinos in and around Ontario, followed by growth to 23 more groceries, bringing the brand's presence to 80 locations in Canada.

General Assembly's founder and CEO Ali Khan Lalani said the partnership is right in line with the company's growth strategy.

"This an exciting development that will allow us to further expand our retail footprint, and ultimately introduce GA Pizza to new households across Ontario," he said in a news release. "Partnering with Fortinos Supermarket, a beloved part of Loblaw's robust retailers, is a fantastic opportunity to extend our reach more than ever before."

The pilot program will increase GA Pizza's retail presence and build market share in untapped regions. The par-baked frozen pizzas can be cooked in under 10 minutes. The pilot Fortinos stores are in Burlington, Vaughan, Brampton, Hamilton, and Oakville and follows the company's announced master production facility, which Lalani said will help the business keep up with demand for its products.

General Assembly Pizza began its life as a pizza restaurant in the heart of Toronto. Three years later, it began offering a freezer-to-table consumer packaged goods line, and a direct-to-consumer pizza subscription and gifting service.